Once In A Blue Moon
by MoonLynx
Summary: It's peaceful, it always is. But in a place where your memories are the only things that keep you, you, how would you react if they began to slip away?
1. It Was An Accident

The sun, high, but its rays barely managed to make their way through the thick canopy that layered the wood below. Because of this, it lit the area with a green glow, the shadows just a deeper emerald. Here an espeon wandered. This was her domain. Of course there was an abundance of life around her, pidgeys, zigzagoons and the like but she was unique among her habitat. She was her own being here.

This was Quiyelle Wood. Here it was rumoured that all Pokémon lived, except for some of the legendaries which never stayed anywhere too long. But this was where evolution was said to have started, and where there were all the stones discovered and undiscovered for Pokémon. As you can tell, there are plenty of rumours surrounding the area, which is what makes it so desirable to visit, especially to trainers. More often that not though, you get beginning trainers, wishing that luck, more than skill, would help them.

This was her role. The espeon protected the young Pokémon that did not wish to leave yet. There were still plenty of older Pokémon, like Rhydon and Stantler, that could be caught but she was the guardian of this place. Well, one of them. There was an older ninetails that had been here since anyone could remember and so was the strongest, with powerful psychic abilities only accessible to those ninetails that had lived for hundreds of years. The two had an acceptance of each other, she knew he was stronger than her but in dire moments of desperation, he could not foretell what she could do.

There was one tradition of this place however, she did not like. He would, every two years or so, find vulpix that had desirable traits, ones he wanted, and turn them into a ninetails, with either a firestone or with his own abilities (he was very powerful) and they would breed, bringing another generation of royal vulpix into the world. He had no name except for Tor, which was what everyone referred to him as. The espeon, she also had no name, for as she was the only one you could just call her 'espeon'.

This day was slow; the sun was so high that it seemed to settle its gaze on the wood, making the air humid and the energy sap fast from all creatures. The espeon settled herself in a small pile of rocks and allowed her mouth to stay open as she panted, watching the world go by below her. A rattata scurried by her, up a tree and it disappeared into the foliage above. She grinned; every creature seemed to be hiding from something. Most probably the sun, like her, but there noticing below, the signs pointed to a different explanation.

The crowd that she had seen before had suddenly thinned and hidden. Forcing herself to roll behind the rocks, footsteps became audible and close, forcing her ears to prick forward. A girl, no older than fifteen, took no effort to stay silent in the empty clearing; she wiped her forehead and collapsed on the ground, with a sigh. Her dark hair was sticking to her forehead and her skin already had a red tint to it. Taking out a bottle of water, she emptied it over her, which soon left as steam. The espeon watched her curiously, all humans were different, that she had learnt over the years, so she had no clue how they would be until she had watched them for a while. By the looks of things though, this person had four Pokémon, all hooked onto her belt, with varying sparkly stickers.

She didn't look like a complete beginner, but she didn't have the eyes of an expert. They still showed some fear and lacked the shine of confidence. The espeon relaxed her stance but heard something move behind her. Twisting, she caught a glimpse of a green flash fly over her. It landed near the girl, a treeko. Keeping its gaze on the espeon, it caught its owner's attention and let her know of the other Pokémon's presence. Standing, a grin spreading steadily over the girls face, the trainer called for the treeko to use quick attack on her. Swiftly, the espeon launched herself off the rocks and directly into the treeko, landing neatly on her feet. The trainer bit her lip as her Pokémon landed, then called for the treeko to use bullet seed.

The espeon quickly grew tired of the battle and, with a purple flash of the eyes, froze the lizard Pokémon in its tracks. The trainer froze herself too for a moment, shocked, and then ran to free her Pokémon from the attack. Cautious of the girl, the espeon leapt out in between the treeko and its owner, using a psychic attack to push the trainer to the ground. Unsure of what to do, the espeon freed the treeko and ran off, intending to disappear into the trees. Before she completely got away, the trainer threw a ball, which hit the espeon neatly on the tail and the red light sucked the sun Pokémon into the sphere....

--------------Espeon-------------------

Now being wild all of these years, it was weird to be inside one of these things again. Trapped in the dark, only seeing what you can imagine. Of course there was still the escape possibility but whilst you were in here it was like you were being emotionally battled, stuck with glue and frantically thrashing in the dark. It was trying to force you to like the trainer, to please them, to stay inside the ball, but I didn't. The girls smiling face was being imprinted on my brain but I broke free of the ball, furious now. The treeko glared at me but the girl, she now had grim determination written all over her face. This treeko would kill for her, that was obvious, but even now I was growing a liking for her, the face shining in my mind. The effects would be temporary unless you belonged to them, but right now, I wanted to be hers. Shaking off this fake onset of emotions, I growled.

The treeko leapt and pounded me off the rocks, pushing me to the ground. The girl then ordered another bullet seed, that hit. I forced myself up and turned slowly to face them. In this time, she threw another ball at me. It hit again and I was put through the torture of being forced to want to belong, you could escape but it was so hard to. To be told that you want to belong, to be told that this was what you wanted, you begin to believe it after a while. This time, I half gave myself to it and saw myself in a happy lifestyle, fighting hard for her and having a bond so strong it would be enough to keep me in a euphoric state but my other side would not give in and I broke free, less easily this time and threw the ball back at her with a shadow ball which hit her harder that I meant it to. She fell back and hit her head on the rocks with an undeniable crack. Blood began to pool from her head. I felt my heart stop, but the look in the treeko's eye was enough for me to snap back to reality.

The effects of the ball were at their strongest but my senses were telling me to call Tor. I shrieked for him in my head, panicking but then it settled, and I set to the task of which I do each day. I removed the poke balls from her belt, ignoring the treeko that was yelling at her to wake up, for someone to help. Noticing that the balls she had been throwing at me were ultra balls I understood why this was so hard to bear. Calling out the Pokémon from their chambers one by one I destroyed their poke balls, releasing them. They seemed upset but soon got over their grief. Some were from around here but the treeko still refused to leave her. I blocked them out but I could see it replaying in my head. All I could think was 'I'm sorry' I just didn't have the courage to say it.

.


	2. Not What I Expected

I refused to look at either of them and so faced the ground until I heard Tor arrive. My mind was filled with the past experiences I had had with humans before. Most, as they were beginners, had ordinary poke balls but there was one before with a master ball. They had obviously intended to catch a pretty rare Pokémon. That was within the first year of my arrival here. He had not been after me, but, either out of duty or curiosity, I had to follow him. He found what he had been looking for within a matter of hours. Tor. He was by no means as strong as a legendary, but he was one of the main rumours surrounding this place. Tor had had no hesitation in what he did next, once he caught sight of them. He forced the trainer back, the boy already regretting his decision, but it was too late. I watched it all from afar as he turned the boy into a poochyena.

He never allowed people who had seen him to escape, yet the word of this powerful, fox Pokémon spread. I never knew if he had known I was there, but I was so scared of what he'd do if I told him. Had he done such things before? He showed no remorse, no regret. He seemed so heartless that I kept my distance from him from then on.

Until now.

By the images I had shown him before, he had known what to expect. I would have punishment, I knew this. The murder (this is what I had accepted I had done) of a human would not go without consequences. Tor emerged from the path and walked over to the treeko, and with the slightest brush of his paw put him to sleep, the body slumped. He had already decided what he was going to do. I looked round at him as he whispered some words at the treeko. He looked up at me and I knew what he had done. Erased his memory, eased the pain. At least here he could start anew. Still, to clear months, years of experience, this treeko would never be given the answers he would ask for.

'But now. What do we do with you espeon?'

His voice made me cringe, the way it was so loud in this silent clearing. The stench of human was so strong now that any other Pokémon within three miles would stay away.

'Is she...?'

I was wishing terribly that she was still alive but Tor gave me a look which dashed all hopes and caused me to give out a gasp. I had obviously thought there was still a chance.

'She's close enough. She wouldn't survive out here.' He then looked away from me and to the girls peaceful face 'Not in that form anyway.'

I looked at him in surprise; there were always rumours of his power, so many you could believe, so many you didn't want to.

'What are you-'

'All in good time. I have decided your punishment first off though.'

I bowed my head in shame, expecting the worst. I knew first hand of how he dealt with humans, he would bear no exceptions to Pokémon.

'You are sorry for what you've done. And you have paid loyal service to this wood. Yet, I want you to go back to her family and tell them what happened.'

I looked at him, sizing up this punishment in my head. It seemed fair, if not lenient. Yet, as I hardly wanted to anger him further, I nodded in acceptance. There would be the one matter of actually explaining what had happened but I was sure I could do something.

'And there will be a few extra effects to this punishment...'

He looked me straight in the eye, his red eyes gleaming with... was that him being smug? A reason to punish me, he had always wanted one. Maybe he had known...

'... You will become human.'

My eyes widened but, before I had a chance to ask when and why, it happened. My body, my muscles, my insides, my bones, growing and reshaping themselves, gave off a constant noise of clicks and snaps. My back feet grew long, stretching out, forcing me to collapse on the ground, my breaths getting harder and harder to suck in. My front paws also grew, with long spindly bones forcing themselves out of my skin, but I couldn't feel it. Either out of out Tor's mercy or a numb sensation from everything breaking and setting at once, I could not feel the slightest pain.

My tail shrank away from me and my whole body bulged into its new form. The fur fell in a flurry, except for on my head where it grew in long, lilac locks. I grew blind whilst my eyes reshaped themselves, making my pupils black and wide in this new experience. Then the gem on my forehead loosened itself and simply hung on my neck with a golden chain. Soon my body was almost completely finished. I felt my ears grow small but by the time my skull was settling into its new position, I had passed out.

***

The moon shone dimly when I eventually woke. My eyes could hardly adjust to this light but that was the least of my issues. My mind was foggy and confused but I knew who... what I was. An espeon turned human. An example to others.

After recalling all the events, the murder and the turning, I leapt to my feet, quite amazed I could keep balanced, and examined myself. I was tall, comparing this to my former self, and slim but I felt cold. The lilac fur I had once had grown into long curls, straying into my view every few moments. I was still in the same spot, but there was no longer the girl there and on the rocks there were some pieces of material left draped over them. Clothing. I had seen humans wear them before, yet these were all my own. Slipping them on, they fit well, the chill of the night had a weaker effect. It was a simple outfit of a grey shirt, black jacket and jeans, with some seemingly worn trainers. I was happy though, as happy as I could be in this situation.

'Enjoying yourself?'

Tor stepped out of the trees, no doubt where he had been waiting for me to wake up. Beside him was a boy, late teens, with short, curly red hair and a habit of glancing nervously down at Tor. A trainer? No, he had no poke balls. Noticing my look, Tor smiled.

'This is Aiden. Your guide. Also a turnee.'

As if it were my natural reaction, my hands rested on my hips and I gave Tor an annoyed gaze. Did he like to make a mess of nature? It seemed to be a little thing of his. Besides, I did not need a guide.

'I-'

Hearing my voice caused me to stop, it was higher than I expected but it was like I was whispering. So gentle, bearing no confidence, maybe it's because I had none. Snapping myself out of my train of thoughts, I focused my attention on the two.

'I don't need a guide.'

'You do.' Tor argued 'Besides, he will come in handy later on. There is a final thing I need to tell you about your punishment. You still have to tell the family what happened but, if you do not succeed it in time, you will remain as what you are. Human, with the mind to match. This is repayment for what I had to do to the treeko. You took away a loved one from them and forced my hand to steal the memories also. If you do not complete this punishment, then you will become fully human. You see the reason now why you need a guide.'

I was stunned, I was planning on tracking the family down in my own time, on my own, but now, there was much more at stake. Tor was showing much more... vengeance than I had expected him to. Which begged the question, how much time did I have? Sensing my question (or just reading my mind) Tor replied.

'It depends on the Pokémon, but you, I'd say you had three weeks, give or take a few days.'

So that was it. He seemed so calm, giving me my sentence, his emotionless face staring at me, causing me to want to rip each tail of his out one by one, but I hardly think that would win me any favours. Looking to Aiden, who hadn't seemed to have been informed of this information, had his eyes wide. It was easy to see what he had been before, a vulpix, maybe a relation of Tor's. He still bore the traits of a child, but his wide shoulders and height showed me that he was quite the adult.

'If I were to lose all my memories. What would happen to me?'

I didn't want to ask this, but I needed to know what would happen if I didn't succeed. I couldn't allow myself to believe that everything would be alright without his word. Tor himself seemed surprised by this, but he had an answer ready.

'I will create memories for you. A new life. I will sort it out. Don't worry.'

If there was ever an understatement, that was it. I was going to lose my mind, literally. But, in my sudden acceptance of this, my feet started moving and I grabbed Aiden, who was shocked himself of my actions. We were leaving. Now.

---------------

_I have to say, thank you for all of you who have reviewed this so far. I have no goals to reach for this except to test out this fanfic site. If you like it, I'll keep writing, if not I'll end it in a quick, simple, way. Anyway, thank you! _

_MoonLynx_


	3. No Excuses

The first hours of my travel were where I fought back these strong, human emotions after I read back all the information Tor had given me in my head. I needed to find her family, as fast as possible, and then return home. It sounded simple, but in three weeks? That didn't leave little room for error. Aiden was leading the way, keeping a steady pace in front. Away from Tor, he was a lot more confident and cheery. I noticed that he was smiling a lot more now, but that did not put me in a happier mood.

'So, how do you know where she lived?'

I broke the silence and noticed that this caused him to drop his smile, was it my voice? It sounded too raspy to me.

'I... was caught by her before...'

He lowered his head and seemed to pick up the pace but I managed to keep up with him. Thinking back to when I released her Pokémon, there was no vulpix or any Pokémon that could have had the same physical traits as him. There had been a taillow, a rattata, a spinarak and.... a treeko. He had not been there.

'She had released me shortly before she decided to travel to that wood, I don't know why. I had followed her because... well... I had heard of that ninetails and how he punished humans and I didn't want her to get....'

He didn't have to finish his sentence, I could hear in his voice the anguish he had gone through. He blamed me, as I did, but now he was helping me. This was undoubtedly only out of respect for her. I fiddled with my pendant, seeing my reflection distorted on its surface.

'I-I was only doing my job. It was an accident and... That treeko. She got in the way. When Pokémon battle, no human should interrupt.'

I was struggling to find excuses but I did not realise Aiden was getting annoyed. He turned on me, his face twisted in anger.

'Her name was Hannah. She was only eighteen.'

If he could have breathed fire upon me, he would have, but I shrank away from his words as if they were burning me.

'I-I'm sorry'

I managed to force out the words with my tiny voice but they had no effect on him. He twisted away from me and with a sigh, carried on his way. I fought back the tears, but some forced their way through and fell down my bare cheeks. I covered my face with my hair, thinking now how stupid it was for me to have lilac hair and to try and fit in with others. It was like a grape surrounded my dates.

It was colder now there was no sun; I no longer had the shelter of the trees to block out the wind. Hannah... her name made no real difference to what I had done but now, she was someone. Not just the girl I had killed. Aiden and treeko had cared for her, and now I made my way to explain to others what happened. That would be awful. Would I say it was me? No, a wild Pokémon. A tragic accident. No matter how I explained it, she was dead. What had Tor done to the body? Something respectable hopefully. She deserved peace now.

I bumped into Aiden, hardly noticing that he had stopped. We were on the top of a small hill, lights twinkling in the distance. That was Fallarbor town, not huge but it would have supplies and perhaps a map so I could escape this guy.

'Are we stopping there?'

Aiden didn't look at me; he spoke in a monotonous tone, as if all emotion had been sucked out of him.

'I don't have money, do you?'

Even without emotion, it came out pretty spiteful and sarcastic. I sat down on the grass and stared up at the sky, but by now it was close to dawn.

'We can rest here; we have survived on it for long enough. We should make it to Mossdeep within a few weeks.'

He lay down a distance away from me, hands behind his head. I stared at him, surprised that she got to the wood from so far away. Mossdeep was that far away island, right? The one that was practically impossible to get to without a boat or at least money. We had none. Nothing of any value whatsoever. Except. I stared down at my pendant, the jewel I prized myself with. I would never sell it, but it was the source of my psychic powers when I was Pokémon, did it still bare some of the abilities it had bestowed upon me before?

Turning to Aiden, who still refused to look at me, I closed my eyes and remembered my wide range of attacks from before, the one I was trying to concentrate on had a certain method of calling it. Hypnosis. You had to be relaxed yourself. I felt myself drift slightly, and then I opened my eyes again. My jewel below me was glowing and Aiden's eyes did begin to droop, and then shut altogether. Turning onto my side, I smiled to myself; I wouldn't let Aiden know of this in case he did decide to burn me up. I watched the grass sway in the breeze instead, tinted orange in the morning glow. I yawned, tired from the ventures so far, and in the future..... I couldn't help but let my mind drift back to Quiyelle. My true home.

-------Tor-------

It was strange not to feel anything for this girl. I had bathed and fixed her head wound but still... with her pale face and stiff body, she no longer looked like the living and yet, I felt no grief, no pity. I knew espeon was feeling plenty for the both of us but she would grow stronger from this. A silver lining.

I lay a paw on the girl's body and closed my eyes, focusing all my energies. I would not be willing to heal her human form but if I could.... she glowed and I clenched my teeth together. To do this... I would not normally do this but these were unusual circumstances and if it would help espeon get over it... The girl was now completely white, a silhouette of light. I opened my eyes and they were the same colour, a blank white, and my mind became clear as I plotted out her route. She disappeared below me and I snapped out of it, my eyes crimson again and my body worn out.

I panted hard then felt another wave of energy in the distance. Espeon, no other psychic Pokémon was that strong this close. She was using her psychic abilities. How had she discovered them? I could not speak to her mentally in the form she was in so all I could do was feel it. She was going to fade fast if she kept this up. As she lost pp, more of her Pokémon self would be lost and she would be... human. I did not wish to put her through this but it is one soul for another. I would make sure that she was happy in her human life. For now, her old mind will just fade out and let the new one to take hold.

What an odd world we lived in.

_Again, I say thank you. I realise this won't be hugely popular, nothing like 'A Little Night Music' but I'm happy to get some reviews per chapter of this. It appears that some of you like this so I'll keep writing. But I'll let you know that the rate I am going at now won't be the same once the holidays are over. I have a lot of revision to do and this will be after that. But for now, enjoy!_

_MoonLynx_


	4. More Than We Need

----Espeon Day 2------

Our second day of travel, the first only covering only a couple of miles. Aiden woke before me; he was stretching and trying out his new body, unaware of me watching him. He seemed so... normal in that form, as if he was human all his life. I suppose I was finding moving easier, but still, it was so primitive. No attacks, apart from the few psychic ones I had managed to salvage, just an overbearing flow of emotions every now and again.

I wasn't sure if this was an emotion, but my stomach felt like a black hole, so strong that I thought it was tearing away at my skin. This was hunger. My first experience of human hunger. Thinking it through, I had had nothing to eat since the morning before and we had been walking constantly that night. It had been my feelings of grief that blocked off any sense of hunger and thirst. Now it all came at once.

Aiden seemed prepared for this; maybe it was his experience with humans that allowed him to be so naturally excellent at this. He had gathered a small pile of fruits and they lay, neatly on the grass. I yawned, unsure of what to say, unsure of whether to thank him. He could still be mad. I yawned and stretched myself, knowing we should move as soon as we could. But this body was still so tired; I had to drag it to reach the food that it so craved. I whispered thanks to Aiden but he did not turn his head, even when I gave a loud crunch as I tried to eat an apple.

'If we can move on our way to Mauville City, we would be helping ourselves greatly.'

He spoke, without ever seeming to actually address me. I was growing tired already of his anger towards me. He had seemed fine before we spoke about the accident, but now it was if he was a completely different person, as if hate had taken over him. I allowed him to carry on like this, for now at least, sooner or later I would snap.

***

By the time we moved, it was mid morning and I finally seemed fully awake. We walked faster than we had yesterday, flying by Fallarbor. I did not look at any of the buildings that we passed by, instead looking down at my gem again. I pondered whether I had ever learnt teleport. It would certainly cut out some...well... all of the travel, but I had no clue how to 'call' it like I had done the hypnosis. Aiden did not seem to try to remember his attacks or make any attempts to talk to me. That was fine with me. I was trying to recall all the attacks, all the psychic ones, I had used in my lifetime. That was not an easy fete. When I was a Pokémon, it was just natural to use an attack then learn new ones. You never had to learn them they were just with you. Now, they were harder to find, delving deep into my memories.

'You seem quiet. Are you alright?'

I looked up and saw him looking back at me. I dropped my gem and then blinked, trying to make sense of his question.

'I am known to be quiet. It is not necessarily a bad thing.'

Normally, people would prefer you to be quiet. I would have expected him to be the same but he raised an eyebrow at me then continued on his way.

'It's just strange to walk in silence. We are going to be travelling for a while; will it be like this for the remainder of the time?'

He had slowed his pace so he was next to me but I just shrugged. I was being quiet for his benefit, I didn't think he wanted to talk, not what I wanted to talk about anyway.

'Why did you agree to do this?'

He had made it clear yesterday that he had blamed me for what had happened. But now... was he bipolar? Being happy suddenly? Maybe it was just a touchy subject that released his fiery side. He was meant to have one after all.

'I suppose it was for Hannah and her family. They were nice to me. But I am still upset with her releasing me, so... maybe it was just because it was the right thing to do. I knew you were sorry.'

I stared at him, unsure of what to make of this person. Did he or did he not blame me? Was he so polite that he would push aside his feelings and morals and instead do what's right? Maybe Tor had forced him to, that would make more sense but that didn't explain why now, out of range of Quiyelle, he was still nice and did not take this opportunity to kill me. He was being too genuinely pleasant to be faking it. I would have expected him to be the same as before, trying to forget my existence.

We stayed in silence for about an hour before it started raining. Well, I thought it was raining. It was actually ash falling down from the sky. This had freaked me out at first (What place rains ash?!) but Aiden had reassured me, from his fire instincts, that it was because we were near Mt Chimney. That had slightly comforted me but within moments I was coated in the stuff. It made the air smell smoky and everything around was the same, dull browny grey. We trudged carefully through the long grass but I soon found myself getting lost, Aiden seeming to feel the same way. I sat down on a boulder that lay amidst the ashen meadow. My hand reached for my pendant and I looked down. What attack did I know that could help us here? I was (emphasis on the was) a sun Pokémon, I should be able to shine some light on things. Aiden was away, probably trying to home in his tracking capabilities. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard, sunny day could help here, my mind cleared and the light shone. My gem was glowing and I saw as the sun broke through the ash-filled sky and lit the opening an hours walk away.

Aiden had spotted it and shouted at me to move. Leaping off the rock, I ran, covering my face with my arm as the cindered flakes broke as I hit them. My light would not last for too long, but at least we knew where we were headed. I sprinted over the grounds, I could have gone faster on four legs yet I'm sure that would've been seen as weird, reaching Aiden just before all of my sight was blurred by either my hair or the ashes.

'Ready to go!'

I beamed, and then frowned as I found my body gasping for breath. I could've down that a thousand times over with my old body. Was this one unfit?

'Um, it seems that someone wants to talk to you.'

He nodded to something behind me and I realised behind me was a numel. Eugh. Out of all the Pokémon in the world, I had to say that they were in the category of 'Stupid.' Along with magikarp, slugma, psyduck and countless others. They could be strong, however more often than not, it wasn't worth the trouble. This one was staring at me, a look of recognition in its eyes.

'Er, hi.'

I waved and smiled nervously but it merely blinked in reply.

'You were a fire type, you care to try and communicate with it? See what it wants?'

I whispered to Aiden, who seemed to nod in agreement. He walked over to the creature and knelt down, so he was at the same level. They didn't seem to do anything at first but then the Numel got even more excited and began crying out its name over and over. This was extremely annoying, Aiden seemed fascinated.

'Well, considering Numel aren't complete fire types, I managed to have a good conversation with him.'

Aiden stood up, straightening out, turning to beam at me.

'He saw you. He saw you used Sunny day. And now he wants to know what we are.'

A bloody curse, that's what. Aiden didn't seem curious that I had used an attack, more pleased with himself that he could still communicate with Pokémon; it was strange he didn't seem to care too much. I ran a hand through my hair as I thought, well it was obvious now that we weren't human, but how much would this numel believe? He was smart enough to suss out we weren't just lucky with the weather.

'Tell him he can't tell anyone he saw us. We're nothing to worry about.'

Aiden frowned, confused of why what we were was such a secret. Yet he still turned down to the numel and 'told' him. The numel tilted his head as he 'listened' then replied, his cries a little more aggressive and determined than before. Aiden shook his head as he stood back up again.

'He wants to come with us.'

Hell no. That would be as bad as being a trainer; at least he wasn't being forced to come with us. Still, the fact that this Pokémon knew what we were was unnerving. Did all Pokémon know it? If we kept him with us however, we could stay at Pokémon centres and explain why we were travelling everywhere. We could pretend to be trainers.

'Okay, he came come. But... what is his name? '

What kind of trainer would I be if I only referred to them as 'numel'? It was usual, yes, except it made the Pokémon just seem like a number, an insignificant copy. Aiden went to kneel down but the numel was already 'speaking'.

'Oh, he can understand you I guess.... His name's Flint. Original.'

Aiden shrugged and I stared curiously as the numel. Pretty intelligent, for a numel. Breaking away from the 'conversation', I looked to the clearing again. My light was gone but you could see faint streams of natural light.

'We still have some hours of daylight, let's move while we can.'

Aiden decided this before I could speak. He was a quick thinker, I had wondered before why Hannah had released him. She must have had reason; nevertheless I would figure that out in time. Right now, I had a major worry on my mind.

_____

_Again, thank you for reading. I have now decided on the two goals that will decide when this ends: Either when I reach over 100,000 words or when I get 500 reviews. I think I know which one is more likely. Keep reading, it does get better!_

_MoonLynx_


	5. A Travelling Circus

---------Espeon Day 3------------

We had managed to arrive at a Rest House just out of the ashen plains. A kindly old lady ran it and as soon as she saw Flint, she allowed us in. Who knew people were so picky to whom they let in? Though, we could have been Team Rocket or Team Magma for all she knew, or one of the many other criminal groups that have plagued the lands. Maybe it was because Flint was half asleep by the time we arrived and Aiden had to carry him to our room as, as soon as we entered the house, he had fallen asleep.

Now, the days seemed brighter. It was nearing the peak of summer, lucky for us. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, as Flint snored softly on the floor, somehow comfortable in the position Aiden had left him in. Aiden was awake but he had gone to find some breakfast, I was hungry but decided to wait on Flint, in case he thought we abandoned him. And I didn't want a little Pokémon blurting out to everyone that we were once Pokémon. Even though humans wouldn't know what he was saying, there's always one trainer who can understand everything every creature says or does.

Aiden decided then to burst into the room, handfuls of food, obviously taking advantage of the lady's hospitality. Flint opened one eye, eyeing Aiden as he balanced the food, but closed it again and the snoring resumed. I turned to Aiden, half annoyed, half happy for the food.

'Can I grab some?'

He nodded and, seemingly unwilling, handed me a plate full of eggs, bacon and every other thing you could imagine in a breakfast. It smelled delicious, but I was cautious, I still didn't completely trust Aiden and that little old lady I didn't trust at all. After carefully inspecting the food stuffs, I wolfed down the food.

'Whoa, slow down... Hey, I don't know your name. You know mine, isn't that unfair?'

I turned to Aiden, I suppose I wasn't in the most polite frame of mind when I met him, but what did he expect?

'I'm just called Espeon.'

I returned to licking my plate clean but Aiden shook his head.

'You can't be called by that name. What will people think if I called you that? No, we'll have to find one more... human.'

I paused from emptying the plate of every bit of sauce and turned to Aiden, my face full of scorn.

'I don't **want **a human name. I'm Espeon, not a human.'

Aiden seemed shocked at my sudden outrage but then quietened his voice at an attempt to calm me down.

'Maybe something similar to your name? Like... Esther?'

I had no knowledge on human names, but that one seemed too weird for my liking. I ignored his suggestion and placed the plate neatly on his pile of dishes. This was the moment that Flint decided to fully wake up, he stretched and a small wisp of smoke flew out of his... hole? Either way, it made me cough.

'Okay, so not Esther. Are there any names anyone has called you before?'

He returned me to the conversation but I didn't want to think about the past. The past had so many mistakes... Yet, there was one name that kept returning to me.

'I was called Willow once. A long time ago by a girl... the memory's distant.'

I regretted telling him, but he seemed ecstatic now.

'Brilliant. We have a name for you now. A weird one, but one none the less. Flint, ready to go?'

Flint turned to him, yawning, then nodded. He wouldn't need food for a few days so we had some time on our hands. I was satisfied with my own meal but I knew my stave from hunger wouldn't last, not for the whole day. Stuffing some slices of bread into my pockets, we set out on our way. Careful to not draw attention to ourselves.

***

The sun was baking hot. I was meant to be thriving under this, as a sun Pokémon, but I couldn't exactly enjoy it in thick clothing and in a body that was used to... less than 60 degrees Celsius. Both Aiden and Flint were fine, both beaming and walking with a slight skip in their step. Stupid fire Pokémon... At least I could beat them later when I will dance in the rain and they cower under an umbrella or a tree.

We walked steadily for about a half hour when Flint then decided to go off course, claiming (according to Aiden) that he could see some berry trees. I thought he didn't need to eat yet?! I ran after him, determined to not lose my mind because of some Numel and his obsession with berries. He still knew what we were, and somehow that secret of mine was becoming more and more precious.

'Flint!'

I caught up to him, but not before another trainer. They had short, spiky, blond hair, a little older than me but certainly not taller. They were standing next to Flint (who now looked very pleased with himself) and glared at me.

'This your Pokémon?'

Oh God. What had he done? I nodded, noticing a stalk of what I presume was a berry, sticking out of Flint's mouth.

'He has eaten all of my berries! My bag was completely full of them, I leave it alone for a second, and then this creature scoffs them all. I demand some payment.'

I felt my pockets for an odd coin but all I found was bread crumbs and a few leftover slices of bread. I smiled nervously, but that made the guy explode.

'Fine then, a Pokémon battle!'

My eyes widened. No, no, no, no, no, no. I refuse to battle. But this guy wasn't having it.

'This is your Pokémon. You're a trainer. You have to accept my challenge!'

He began jumping up and down in a rage; I think my confusion annoyed him. But I had to abide by the rules, otherwise I could risk blowing my cover (Yeah, because I was doing a brilliant job so far).

Swallowing hard, I nodded, taking my position on the makeshift battle arena. He smirked, calmer now; he called out an electrike, named 'Sparks'. It growled and little crackles of electricity ran over its body. Oh joy. Flint finally began paying attention to what was happening and stood up, snorting smoke every few seconds. Lovely.

'Quick, Sparks, thundershock!'

Damn, I wasn't prepared for this kind of thing. I hardly knew what attacks Flint knew. He wasn't fast, but we had an advantage from him being part ground.

'Try making him move at least. Then maybe a fire attack?'

Aiden appeared from out of nowhere, residing behind me. I nodded then ordered Flint to move, he leapt (rather nimbly) to the side as the electricity hit the ground.

'Bite!'

'Flamethrower!'

'Jump, then quick attack!'

'Take down!'

We matched each other, blocking their attacks with our own. I found the fluent movement in the battle rather easy to settle into. Flint was winning, but only by a tiny margin. I could hear Aiden take quick breaths every now and again as the match got interesting but mine was steady. Where was this adrenaline rush humans were meant to have?

'Sparks, double team!'

Hundreds of little green and yellow dogs appeared round Flint, and he appeared more terrified than I was.

'He is part ground too!'

Who knew Aiden was such an expert? That little bit of advice jogged my memory but the attack I had in mind was a gamble.

'Quick, Flint, try... er... magnitude?'

I crossed my fingers as the ground started shaking. It was strong, slightly increasing, but was it enough? The multiple electrike seemed shocked as they could no longer stay upright and soon, there was only one, tumbling on the ground.

'Now, flamethrower!'

The earth remained still again, lucky as I was about to fall myself, and Flint gave off a stream of scorching, red fire. It hit the electrike dead on and that was it, over. The electrike was collapsed on the ground, some smoke coming off it, but it was still alive.

'Your debt is cancelled. Now just leave!'

The man recalled his Pokémon, not even bothering to look at us, and walked away muttering curses under his breath. I was smiling; my grin so wide as Aiden approached us. Flint was overjoyed too, dancing in circles until he was dizzy. So this was what it was like, to control a Pokémon and command them to your will. I shouldn't be enjoying this, but I was buzzing. So happy now that I flung my arms around the disorientated Flint and hugged him. We needed to move on, but I wanted to enjoy this moment, a moment where my Pokémon side and my human side were both amused.

---

_Just to warn all of you, I try my best to stay away with traditions or already done things in stories. I try to make it all original, but there's a limit you can go to. If I were to make it all random, then Aiden would just walk off, Tor would blow up the world accidentally on purpose and they'd all suddenly fly up to heaven. I avoid clichés, so as soon as I spot any happening in my story, I try my hardest to change them, don't think you know how it's going to end up. You could be right, but I tend to work against the grain, make things harder for myself. But again, thank you for reading._

_MoonLynx_


	6. Just To Annoy Me

----Espeon Day 4----

We walked all night in order to get to Mauville. This was partly because of Flint and I's overly happy attitude to winning the battle, in which Aiden just went along with, but as my buzz disappeared within the first few hours, it was mainly Flint's attitude driving us on. As we arrived, the first few early risers were leaving their houses to grab shopping, go to work, whatever else creepy people do in the morning, like us.

Mauville was a large place, filled with shops, casinos and other typical things seen in a failing city. There was a greenery filled path that led to Verdanturf, but we had to go the other way, find something that could help us get across the water, then carry on up to Fortree. Aiden was hoping that some miraculous stranger with a boat or wailmer could lend us a lift but I doubted it. Realistically, we would be lucky if we could find someone who didn't want to kill us. Mauville had an infamous reputation of muggings. As we arrived early, I was eager to pass straight on through, but Flint was tiring and Aiden seemed lacking also. We wouldn't stop here for the day, but maybe for a few hours.

'You got any food on you?'

Aiden shook his head, turning out his pockets to show me. I had no money either...and I had eaten the last of my bread. This would serve a problem. In the distance however, I could spot a Pokémon centre. Time for Flint to prove his worth, outside of battling anyway.

Strange for me to enter these places. So many times had I seen my enemies, the trainers, coming out of the nearby centre, loaded up with poke balls, ready to catch as many Pokémon as they wanted in Quiyelle. I hated these places, but they would be useful for me now. As soon as we stepped in, the nurse smiled at us and guided us to a room, another taking Flint to get fully healed, who seemed very confused.

We managed to find the cafeteria fairly easily after settling into our room, maybe some Pokémon instinct kicking in. There were some trainers in there, but I kept my furthest distance from them, grabbing at any spare food. Aiden picked up on this and smirked, deliberately calling and waving to some of them as they passed by our table, giving us a weird look before scuttling off to their group.

'Cut it out!'

He smirked, leaning back in his plastic chair.

'What's wrong? We're human, remember?'

I glared at him, saying nothing as I ate my fill.

'Come on, being like this, we have to get **some **perks.'

Aiden argued, pushing the issue.

'I just don't like it. I don't like being near them, let alone being one.'

He frowned and kept quiet, gazing out of the window to the side of us. The cafeteria was on the fifth floor of the Pokémon centre, so this window gave a view of all Mauville, including the outskirts.

'Can Ms. Willow and Mr. Aiden please come and pick up their Numel please.'

The intercom boomed, prompting me to push back my chair and walk off, not waiting for Aiden. By the time I reached the desk, he had managed to catch up; wiping all the bits of food he had accumulated around his mouth. Charming. I rang the bell on the desk and a nurse, eerily similar to the first, came up to us with a poke ball.

'Hope you don't mind. You didn't leave us with its poke ball so we had to use this one.'

She smiled at me and handed it over the counter. Damn.

'It didn't have a poke ball....'

I whispered, but I don't think she heard me. She went back to her filing, leaving me completely shocked, staring down at the red and white ball.

'Willow? You okay? It's only a poke ball.'

Only a poke ball... I despised these. They were the reason trainers were my enemies. They took a Pokémon against its will, taking it from its home, its life. I ran outside the centre, and called out Flint from the ball. Looking at me, he yawned then promptly cocked his head in confusion.

'I'm sorry...'

I seem to be saying that a lot lately. But this time it genuinely was not my fault. Aiden 'explained' what happened to Flint, but the numel didn't seem upset with this, in fact he sort of gave a shrug, as if saying 'That's life'. He didn't care. But I did. Passing the poke ball to Aiden, I walked towards the beach.

'Willow. He doesn't mind!'

'I KNOW!!'

I yelled back to him, feeling tears well up in my eyes. It was stupid, but he should care. He was free before, he had his own will and that stupid nurse took it, as a favour to us. We could break the poke ball but that may make Flint think we didn't want him and I was growing a liking for him. The stupid camel.

The water lapped softly over the land, hardly making any impact. So subtle, it just took its time to erode away the uncaring land. I watched it, amazed that I found a metaphor for my mind. Already, for the past few days, I had found my childhood memories being stolen and replaced with one of a younger version of this body. I woke this morning half believing them for a second, before finding the reason of why there was such a contradiction between my supposed past and present. All the memories, my eevee life, gone. Even my parents were beginning to fade.

'You alright lady?'

An unfamiliar voice called me, breaking my ever emotional thoughts, but I chose to ignore it, if I spoke now I knew I'd sound groggy. Instead I closed my eyes, focusing on keeping my breathing steady.

'Hey, I said you alright?'

I heard his footsteps on the sand coming my way, but I didn't think he was trying to be friendly. I began to whisper only what I could describe was a prayer, thinking only now how stupid I was for staying in a deserted area alone, with no protection. It was light, maybe midday, but there was no one around. I had obviously picked the hotspot of the season...

'You alone?'

Opening my eyes again, I saw the owner of the rather gruff voice. Tall guy, glasses, brown coarse hair, rather long hair for a guy. He didn't seem completely threatening; still it found me a moment to find my voice.

'Um, no, my friends are just coming back; they just went to collect my parents from the hotel.'

I bluffed, hoping that Aiden and Flint were coming. I was sure they had seen which way I went, surely now would not be the time that they decide I need some alone time. While the man checked over his shoulder, checking n case they were coming right now, I was flicking through every attack I had done, finding one that could knock him out straight away, only to find most of them blurred, like finding half the pages in a book missing. The only I could salvage that would be remotely helpful was one of the most recent, psychic. Used on that fateful day.

'Okay, give me your stuff quick. Anything you got.'

He didn't show me any gun, or even the smallest knife so I stood there, staring at him. As my fear disappeared my eyebrows slowly raised.

'No? Okay, go gyarados!'

Damn. It had to be the mugger that had the patience to deal with a magikarp. The creature emerged only a few feet away from me, eyes focusing on where I stood. Its mouth was open to larger than I was, it roared. The guy's glasses flashed and he turned to me once again.

'Come on now. You're in some good clothing there; you have to have some cash on you. Or do I have to hold you ransom for that sort of stuff?'

He seemed too smug for me to be scared of him. I closed my eyes, feeling the energy push from my body and as I opened my eyes again. The guy was knocked on the ground, the gyarados also paying more attention to me than before.

'What the hell was that? Gyarados, hyper beam!'

I lifted a hand and aimed it at the gyarados, it roared and drew in energy but its eyes widened as it realised nothing was happening. I pushed it down, knocking it on the rocks set in the sea, and then turned to the mugger. He was scrambling himself over the sand, as they always seemed to do in that situation. He managed to force himself onto his feet, but before he managed to sprint home, a wall of flames suddenly flicked up. I was confused. That wasn't me.

'Willow!'

Flint, with Aiden following behind, breathed another flamethrower, partially scorching the mugger. By this time, the gyarados was able to suss things out and decide which was the best side to join. Abandoning his master, the gyarados sank back into the water, leaving us to deal with the unarmed, cringing human.

'Please. I just... please.'

The guy pleaded, holding his hands over his head in some weird form of defence. Flint was pawing at the ground, waiting for one of us to give him the word and finish him off, but I wouldn't do it. I lifted my hand once more and carefully swiped at the guys head, knocking him out. If he woke up and we were gone, maybe he would think it was only a dream.

Flint looked up at me, confused. I smiled down at him, amused by his expression, then a pain began to strike through my head. It hurt like hell, as if my mind was on the brink of explosion, enflaming up first. I put a hand on my forehead; it was boiling hot, though the day was turning cool.

'Willow?'

I tried to look at Aiden, but now I couldn't see. I panicked, barely able to catch my breath. Everything was blurred, everything an instrument to my pain, every noise emphasised so that even the sea crashing was agony. I screamed out, collapsing on the ground, blacking out.

--- Tor---

Not even a week and the energy had begun fading. Now, I felt a massive surge, causing me to widen my eyes in surprise. This process was meant to be painless, but espeon's Pokémon mind was treating it like a disease. Trying to fight it.

This was no fever she could sweat out. This was it.

'Tor, there is another one.'

I turned to see a pidgeotto landing on the ground beside me. Another trainer. This was the tenth in three days.... so many. Espeon must've had a busy lifestyle. Thanking the bird, it flew off, keeping track of the trainer for me.

Soon, this would end.

Cream fur rippled as I leapt off the ridge I had placed myself upon and ran through my lands, Pokémon parting as they heard my coming. There was no mercy for trespassers.

----

_Well, quite a few chapters in now. I have noticed the slump in reviews but I don't mind too much about them as long as I still get views. On +8,000 words, I am on my way to those 100,000 words, and I still have plenty of ideas so it should get better. Still, give me feedback on what you want to see. I want to know the answers to such questions like: Why did you read this in the first place? Have you read all the chapters so far? All of those. Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


	7. Does It Show?

Espeon Day 5

Damn, what had happened? My head, hurting still, but not as much. An echo, a roar, ripping out of the distance but I was too far gone by that time to hear it. I felt my body move, carried by someone and... and.... peace.

My eyes opened to the stinging sensation of sunlight. I tried to move my hand to block out the rays but someone was holding onto it. Turning my head, a red haired released his grip and smiled as he saw me wake.

'Thanks Gyarados, I think we're good now.'

Confused, I twisted my head to catch a glimpse of the sea dragon emerging back into the blue waves. He had helped us? My memory of him was him attacking me with a hyper beam, but now he helped? Wait. The mugger where had he gone? My mind snapped me fully awake and I tried to stand up but the rush caused my mind to throb in pain again and I collapsed on the ground.

'Hey, don't try to do too much too fast.'

The boy helped me onto my feet again but some sense of urgency was forcing me on. Mossdeep, I needed to go there. But... why? Looking at him, I found no familiarity. Why was he helping me? Why was there so much missing? I... there was no explanation. I needed to go, now. Maybe I needed to get to Mossdeep to find the answer. I struggled against the stranger, but they gripped hold of my wrist.

'Willow?'

I wrenched my arm free. He knew my name. How? I turned to face the boy again. Why was I here? I knew I was just outside of Fortree. Somehow these lands were familiar to me.

'Leave me alone!'

I went to run towards the town but a Pokémon stood in my way. A numel. It sat down, staring at me. They knew me. That look confirmed that fact to me but I didn't know them. I was surrounded by questions. I searched my mind for answers but I came up a blank, there were distant memories, childhood memories of me with my parents growing up in Lilycove, watching competitions but.... wait... there... a memory that does not match. I was in a wood... Quiyelle... that name came to me. I was watching the sun rise, I swished my... tail? Everything clicked into place from there. That one thought led the way to what happened, to now.

I couldn't understand this although I had all the answers now. I was espeon? Looking to the boy and numel behind me, the past memories I had had with them, although not long lived yet, came to me. I knew them. But now I realised the effect this was happening on me. How was Aiden not feeling this? He was the same as me. How could Tor allow me to go through this?

'I'm okay guys, seriously. I just... forgot for a moment.'

Flint sighed, relieved, happy that I was normal again. But Aiden watched me cautiously, not satisfied with my reply. I smiled, as sweetly as I could manage, but he simply called Flint to his poke ball, much to my great annoyance.

'We're close to Fortree. We could make it there by nightfall.'

I nodded then followed him as he walked.

'So, is this the first time you lost yourself?'

I turned to him, confused. Lost myself? Did he mean...?

'What do you mean?'

'Just now, you didn't know us; have you ever felt that before?'

Oh, here came serious Aiden. He seemed a lot less fun and rather more... realistic.

'A little before, I have lost a few minor memories, but nothing to that extent before.'

I lied a little about the details but he nodded, processing the information.

'I have before. The trick is you have to lead a trail of breadcrumbs to your memories.'

I frowned again; sometimes he just really didn't make any sense. But I had never seen him act weirdly except for the first few days and that was because he didn't like me then, not that I imagined he liked me now.

'When have you ever experienced it? How have you broken out of it so fast?'

He stopped, looking towards the sky. He seemed to be checking the position of the sun but then he spoke, just as I suspected he misheard me.

'Normally early in the morning. As soon as I wake. But like I said before, you have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs, relating memories that lead to that memory that triggers everything.'

I nodded, finally understanding. I wondered if he had ever felt like running away from us. He didn't have the help of me if it happened whilst I was asleep but... he seemed so much more prepared.

'What can you remember?'

This seemed a little personal for me to ask but Aiden didn't seem to mind, in fact he smiled.

'Oh, over some deep thinking, I've recovered the last few years in explicit detail, but they fade daily. Sooner or later, I won't be able to recall anything and...'

We had both through about it, I was sure he had and I know I had. We had about a weeks travel to go at a normal walking pace but we having too many holdups. At least the gyarados had managed to get us across, cutting out a few days of pleading with boat owners.

'I know Tor promised me memories. But what do you think will happen to us?'

Aiden sat, then looked up at me.

'Do you mean our minds or our souls?'

Oh God, our souls. I didn't want to think about them but they were part of this too.

'Both. I just.... want to have some hope.'

He nodded, probably feeling the same himself. He leaned back, running one hand through his curly red hair. I watched, imagining the feel of the curls under human skin then concentrated on Aiden as he spoke.

'Our souls, hopefully residing in some sort of Pokémon heaven. Our bodies, they could easily fit into human society, perhaps as trainers or coordinators. Either way, they'll be happy.'

Yep, Tor had promised me some 'happiness', it's just a shame that I shall never experience it. I sighed then let out a moan, placing my head in my hands. We had no time to break but I didn't feel like moving, a great pit of sorrow draining me of happiness. I heard movement, and felt a hand on my shoulder. I leant against Aiden, knowing that the weight I was carrying was crashing down on me, and as much as I resisted it, it was getting heavier.

'I can't see this getting any better...'

I sobbed, finally removing my hands from my face.

'I can't say it will do. But it'll be painless hopefully and soon we won't notice.'

That was the problem.... Willow. Aiden.

All in a second, we'll be erased.

----

_I have school tomorrow, so I have been more concentrating on that then this but I promise at least 1 chapter a week, that is of course I still get interest. But thank you for reading so far._

_MoonLynx_


	8. Don't You Care?

--Espeon Day 6

The next day was a terror. I figured that my Pokémon side was conflicting with my human side, disgusted with it for allowing the hormones to take control. At the moment, I was just so confused with what I wanted. There were some things I knew for certain I did. I wanted to tell Hannah's family what had happened, I wanted to return to Quiyelle, whether it was whilst I was still me, it didn't matter.

Aiden seemed to be trying to talk to me, as if everything had changed yesterday evening. Had it changed our friendship so much? If you could call it that. Luckily though, Flint didn't seem to notice the obvious awkward state between Aiden and I, he simply walked along jollily, following his friends to a place he doesn't know. Maybe that was true friendship, following without all the information, trusting without knowing. I was just so busy thinking these things through, balancing the pros and cons of staying human in my head.

At first, I would have said that I would have never wanted to stay human, I wanted to have stayed what I was but these few days had changed everything. Humans... they weren't so bad. They faced many decisions; their lives were so intricate, compared to a Pokémon's. This natural hatred we grew for them, where had it come from? Was it the chase? The thought that someone rips you from your home? At least when you travel, you're blissfully unaware and soon the thoughts that have been forced upon you, become your own.

'Willow? I have a question for you. A kind of delayed one anyway.'

I turned to him, staring at him, still deep in thought. It took me a moment to snap back to reality, for then my heart began to race. Adrenaline? Emotion? It was becoming hard to tell the difference of whether I was scared or... something else. But swallowing, I kept my voice steady.

'Go on then.'

He smiled, seeming to sense that I was deliberately keeping myself calm.

'Well, when we first met Flint, it was only because he had seen you using an attack. And when you were assaulted by that mugger-'

I winced at that memory, where I had almost lost myself. I had decided from then to try not to use any attacks, unless absolutely necessary, still I found myself losing the feel of the attacks. Aiden seemed to not notice my wince however, and carried on.

'You were using an attack. Psychic was it? Anyway, what I want to know is, how can you use your attacks? I thought as were human, we no longer had those abilities.'

I raised an eyebrow at him. This was from the boy who could communicate with Flint. Admittedly, I hadn't tried to 'speak' to any Pokémon; I was too scared of them knowing me from my early life and me not recognising them now.

'I... well... I haven't tried to use any _physical_ attacks, like tackle but I think through my gem, I can use my psychic ones.'

He frowned, staring at my gem as I mentioned it. I instinctively clutched it with my hand, I wouldn't trust anyone with this, it was as precious in human form as Pokémon. He averted his gaze back to my face.

'Do you think you could teach me to use mine again?'

I thought about this. He seemed strong enough to use them, and didn't he tell me that he had managed to remember the last few years of his life? I suppose, if he could find the right memory, anything was possible.

'You might be able to. See if you find a memory that really helps you to remember the _feel_ of the attack. Like when you were a vulpix, you could simply call them out of thin air. Now, it's a little harder, but possible. Watch.'

I stopped, watching Flint with extreme focus. I didn't need to close my eyes now, that was when I had to think about it hard, but I could remember the feel very well of this one, ever since I had used it on that gyarados.

I lifted a hand, seeing an eerie bluish purple glow shine on it. That same light appeared around Flint and he stopped, frozen. I felt the gem shake with the energy I used on it, it burning on my chest. But I didn't feel this; I could suddenly see my whole life as an espeon. I bit my lip as it became harder to keep the power up, but Aiden seemed to notice my struggle and he could remember what happened last time.

'Willow!'

My hand dropped, it falling to my side. Flint shook his head, checking back at us as if asking 'Did you see that?!' The feel that I had had for psychic was becoming weaker, as if those memories were simply vanishing as soon as I searched for them in my head. Them being replaced by imposters of another kind. I held my head in my hands for a moment, just a moment, as I found the memory of my first encounter of psychic being replaced with one of my first crush. No, not mine. Hers. This other person taking over me. Willow.

'Willow?'

Aiden was facing me; he had to be getting bored of this.

'**Don't** call me that. I'm espeon.'

I didn't want to be her. I wanted to be espeon, even if it was for only a few more weeks. Aiden looked like he was about to argue, but he closed his mouth, suspecting that my angry expression was more than just a threat.

'Okay... so using attacks isn't simple then?'

I turned my head to look at him; he was trying to use will-o-wisp I reckon. Not that it would do any real damage, but a bad enough burn is enough for any human. Thinking about it, it was one of his only attacks that wasn't physical and didn't involve him breathing fire. I had no idea how that would work with him being human so this could be one of his only options.

He was breathing deeply, just staring at a plant a little distance away from us. Even Flint was now watching him, sensing the flame in Aiden beginning to grow. He was finding it hard to use that flame, his stare getting more intense, his body tensing until; finally, a small flame appeared on the plant. It soon burst into flames, its leaves turning black as they fell.

Aiden turned to me, beaming. It wasn't much but he'd done it. Flint however, didn't seem too overjoyed in this revelation and turned to carry on walking. Odd. He seemed closer to Aiden than me and he wasn't pleased for his friend's breakthrough? But I just smiled, covering over the doubts I had. I was genuinely pleased for him; I just knew that using the attacks took a lot of energy out of you.

I flicked my hair, tucking some of it behind my ear. It had been getting in my way so much that I was becoming accustomed to that habit. How many days had I been human now? 5? 10? I could have been at Mossdeep by now, and back again. We needed to pick up the pace. My days of my Pokémon mind lasting were fading. I was surprised Aiden wasn't worried. A little suspicious of him too. But I let those troubles slide and ran to catch up to Flint. I didn't have a reason to doubt Aiden. Not yet.

---

_So far my policy of one a week is.... well as it hasn't started off yet I can't say but as this was nearly late I'd say it was failing. Next week I have exams, so I'll have to get this done over the weekend again but then it calms down. So it can come more regularly. Also, keep reviewing. I know I get some views, but I want to know what you like about it, what keeps you interested. I'm basically leaving their fate down to how I feel. Scary..._

_Thank You_

_MoonLynx_


	9. Not Everything's Fixable

_My cheeks were wet, damp with the salty tears that I had just shed. I knelt over the body of my mother, one hand rested on her shoulder, the other twisted into a fist, gripping furiously on the blades of grass that surrounded us. She wasn't bleeding, but somehow that made it worse. Her face was set in a blank expression, as if all her muscles had suddenly relaxed, but her eyes had closed, I didn't have to see the lifeless eyes that she had replaced her bright, blue ones. This was how I had found her, in our back garden, late at night. She was not old, how had this happened? Wiping some of the tears from my eyes, I found myself able to drag my gaze away from her to something rustling in the bushes. Had the attacker returned? I stood up, nose still sniffling from my tears. A ninetails stepped out from the bushes that bordered our garden. I meant to run and attack the creature, no matter the consequences, but my mind made me freeze, deciding against my actions._

'_Willow? You don't have too long, do you have time to laze around?'_

_I felt like a fire had been lit inside my head and was spreading, burning my memories and all I knew. Behind the ninetails, two figures appeared, a numel and a boy. Why was there so much that appeared familiar and yet I did not know them. Looking behind me, the body disappeared, but I did not feel anything toward it anymore. I looked back to the ninetails, no longer feeling the burning, but now having nothing. I had no memories. I was just this body. The boy walked towards me, but I felt a new surge of tears flowing, I did not know him and I felt like I desperately should. Like he had changed my life, was he the reason for this confusion? He stared down at me, his face blurred by my misty eyes._

'_Who-'_

_That was as far as I got before he pressed his lips to mine, reawakening my memories with his touch. He rested his hands on my hips and as this moment progressed, I felt the scenery melt away and, with a sneak glance, saw that the background was changing, we were above Hoenn, high enough to get an aerial view of it all._

_He moved his hands to my face and pulled it away, still looking deep into my eyes, the tears had dried up and I knew who I was, and felt slightly ashamed by what had just happened._

'_You're going to make it home.'_

_He promised this to me, but I didn't care about that now. He pointed my face downwards, and suddenly I could see where we were. I could see Quiyelle, and Mossdeep, and where we were. We still had time._

'_But without me.'_

_This forced my head to snap up, my face shocked (and a little pained), but he just grinned, as if he had known this the entire time. As if he had already accepted this._

'_What? Why? We're in the same situation Aiden. We can-'_

_He shook his head, not listening to any of my protests._

'_Just make sure you get home, Espeon.'_

_That name, it was becoming less familiar nowadays, but I still accepted that that was me. I smiled at him, grudgingly accepting his words. He smiled back, showing his teeth, before melting away into the air. I was alone again, but I felt the comfort in my memories, and sank back. Back into the breeze that tossed my hair whichever way they wished...._

--Espeon Day7

I suppose not much was to be expected of me. It had been a few hours since I had woke and we had started moving before dawn. Aiden was practising using his attacks on Flint, as since Flint was a fire type he didn't get affected by Aiden, in fact half the time Flint didn't even notice. I had been keen to reach Lilycove before the end of the day but I also wanted to talk to Aiden. I was fully aware that it hadn't been him talking in my dream, but could it have had some truth to it? He wasn't in a rush, and he was enjoying being human...

'Hey, Will... I mean Espeon, watch!'

As we were out of range from the city, I demanded he called me my true name; maybe it would help me remember things easier. Either way, he concentrated hard on Flint, who by now wore some scorches by Aiden's earlier attempts but didn't seem bothered by them, not pointing his arm but his whole body at the numel and stared at him intently. Within moments, a blaze of fire appeared around Flint and it span so that he was surrounded, the blaze growing larger as it span. I watched, amazed, before I thought that this could be hurting Flint, these were no more the small embers that Aiden had previously worked on, these were getting larger.

'Um, why don't you call it a break now? I'm sure you both need a rest.'

I asked tactfully, but Aiden stared at me in surprise.

'I am getting better, that fire spin was super strong, stronger than when I was a Pokémon, why should I stop?'

Still, he stopped the flames and there revealed Flint. He was covered in ash, but he did not appear seriously hurt, maybe he was stronger than I gave him credit for. I did not want to tell Aiden about my theory of the loss of memories being affected by the use of attacks but if he kept going at this rate, he would be gone within days.

'I think that the attacks worsen our memories. Remember how I had that bad spell after I used psychic? You're using such strong attacks; can you remember all the things you could before?'

He frowned at me, confused at my idea, however, you could see him checking through his mind and, as he found it in a less than perfect state than of last time, his eyes widened in horror.

'When did you find this out? Did you decide to only just tell me now? There could be so much irreparable damage there! For God's sake, you saw me practising. Did it never occur to you?'

He vented his anger out at me and I took it, realising that this was scarier to him than I had thought. He had lost some of his mind he'd never recover, because of me. We had lost a few days now. I had shortened the time we had left. I didn't want to spend the rest of it being mad at one another. But he wasn't the Aiden from my dream; he was the fiery, vulpix Aiden whose hope was slowly being crushed.

Why was I doing so much wrong?

But now, instead of apologizing and crawling into a small, yet comfortable, hole, I just walked away. Knowing myself, I would delay our journey further by forcing myself into a depressed state, so now pushed myself into getting to our destination, leaving Aiden furious but containing himself enough to realise what I was doing, was right. He could still be angry with me. But I couldn't bring myself to care right now.

Still, the memory of my dream kiss with Aiden was playing through my mind, thinking of how it could have been real. How I would have truly felt. But the repercussions of such an act would be so powerful.

I'd no longer be certain of my path.

--

_Yep, after my exams and a truly tiring week, I'd say that this has to be one of my worst chapters, but I hope to improve. I've found my muse building CD and it's already filling me with ideas, some dramatic, some... not. Still, I know people read this as I read the story stats regularly so can one of you, please, leave a review. I feel like I'm writing simply to myself and, as much as that is nice, it's boring to have yourself review your own work. So leave a message, this is me asking you now._

_Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


	10. And I Suppose You Know Everything?

---Espeon Day 8

A burden amongst us. That was what Aiden was slowly becoming. He had ignored me for a few days now, and the only time when I tried to speak to him, he glared at me (if he were Pokémon, he would have growled) then walked away. Flint was trying to comfort him, still unsure of the issue but caring all the same. I felt the same feelings I had when we had first met and he had detested me, a growing boredom of his attitude. That dream I had had of him was beginning to become more like that, only a dream. I had started his fire; it would be a while before it went down again.

We had reached Lilycove by midday yesterday, now we had to find a way to get across to Mossdeep. The boat only went on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, we had conveniently arrived on the Saturday so we had a few days of this. A week or so ago, I would have seethed at this and demanded some local fisherman to get me across but the strength of my determination was fading. That fact scared me.

Now, we just had to wait for the boat. Aiden was sitting on the cliffs, as it was clear enough to see the distant Mossdeep, with Flint napping soundly at his side. I went over to see the island for myself but, as soon as he heard me approach, he stood up, knocking Flint in the process. This broke my last nerve and I broke my silence.

'Oh, for goodness sake, get over it!'

He turned back to me, his fists clenched his face turned the same when he had told me of Hannah. This took me aback, but I soon grit my teeth together and stood my ground.

'What? Am I meant to be scared of you? Yes, I didn't tell you what happens when we use attacks but only because I didn't know. I wasn't certain. How was I to know that you'd go all extreme with the training?'

His face didn't change; the glare feeling like it was really burning into me. Still, I changed my face to match his, one full of grim determination.

'You lost me some of my last precious days. I was coping fine with what I had before, but now... It doesn't matter that you didn't know what I'd do, when you told me about the attacks, you should have told me the consequences. I managed to overlook what you did to Hannah, overlook murder-'

He laughed, this sudden change shocked me, was he going insane?

'I even started to look to you as a friend, but this-'

His face turned back to its stone mask, eyes burning with fierce intensity.

'I don't think I can ever forgive you.'

Those last words hurt, I tried to make a rebuttal, but what can you reply to that? I had hurt him, more than I had with murder, more than Hannah abandoning him. His face grew a touch softer, like he was about to take back his words, but, shaking his head, he walked away.

How... this had been the boy who had forgave me for murder. Forgave me for killing someone he loved. He forgave me for forcing this upon him. Why had Tor given him this punishment? I was the one that should suffer.

Flint sat with me for a moment, watching me fight against the tears and stare aimlessly into the distance, until his worry for Aiden grew too strong. He was torn between us, but Aiden would always win.

I was slowly winning the fight against the tears, but I didn't want to. I found that I would not ever win in the battle for my memories, but the longer I fought, the longer I kept them. I had to keep something, maybe two, or just one? I wanted just one to remember who I was, who I had been.

'_Who you will never be again.'_

The voice shocked me, I twisted my head to catch a glimpse of the face that went with the voice but they flicked through the air, giggling slightly as they did. Confused, and slightly dizzy, I glanced upwards and spotted what looked like a young, teenage girl, blond haired, blue eyed, how much of a cliché angel was she? Finally seeing the person, I remembered what she had said.

'What do you mean? Who are you?'

She shook her head, still giggling to herself.

'I mean what I said; you won't ever be what you want to be again. But is that really what you want?'

She lay in front of me, holding her head in her hands, looking at me as if expecting an answer. I was growing bored of her personality fast but the fact that she could fly and seemed to be able to know what I was kept me listening.

'And I suppose you know what I want? God knows everyone else does.'

She smiled, her teeth perfect and white. She rolled on her back before answering.

'I know you'll be happier as you are. In fact...'

She looked upwards with such intensity that I looked up myself. I saw nothing but the ever grey sky, the sun only barely poking through. I was about to ask her what the end to her sentence was but she stared back at me, her blue eyes now dark, without pupils, so that they were like small black holes, vortexes. I could not look away, her eyes sucked me in and within them I could see my futures, split in the moment.

***

I found myself walking along a path, with... four feet? I stared down and saw that they were lilac, petit feet. I was Espeon again. The happiness that burst through me was so much that I yipped out in joy, feeling only then a tug at my neck.

'Stop it.'

Looking up, my eyes recognised a face, the blonde girl's, except she was obviously more human. For one, she was walking. Also, her eyes (and voice) had a much harder edge to them which meant that I was to give her no trouble. Still, I was confused. I wracked my mind for answers and found.... nothing. The earliest one was of Quiyelle, a normal day, and then other information spattered up. Nets... smoke.... but no poke balls. Poachers.

No one here was on false information, we knew we were prisoners.

I was walked down an aisle, paved with concrete. Either side of me were cages, containing all sorts of Pokémon. Rattata, Lucario, Persian, but none of them seemed unhappy with their situation. They all looked rather peaceful in fact. This worried me even more, but I was forced on by the brute force of the girl, and the choke chain around my neck helped make me move.

I went deep down the aisle, but I couldn't turn my head to check how far. We turned a corner and found a door, labelled in red. Even though I couldn't read, I knew this was the danger zone and tried to pull back.

'No.'

She was stern, tugging my head forward and choking my air supply. I stepped cautiously through the door only to find a cleaner version of the cages out there. The room was whiter, with a table in the centre of the room and an outside area only a little distance away.

'Up.'

She forced me towards the table and I, grudgingly, jumped. She then checked me over further, my eyes, my fur, my teeth, every part of me. Once she was happy from what she had seen, she lowered me into a cage. I hadn't realised at first, but I wasn't alone. There were two other espeon in there, a male and female, the female asleep. The girl pulled a curtain over the front of the cage and, from what I could hear, walked out of the room.

I turned to the male, who was alert and awake, and he smiled, but it wasn't a welcoming smile. He began to box me in and soon, he had trapped me in a corner, advancing forward. I panicked and tried to attack with a shadow ball but a spray hit me, distracting me from using my attack, covering my face. Then there was something in it... pheromones? It made it harder to think and my mind felt muffled. Soon the male was on top of me. I went to react, to attack him, but the pheromones made me feel so calm, this was good. The female in the corner slept easily, her pregnant stomach swelling beneath her. Something I had never noticed on her before.

Only an hour or so later, did the girl come back. She peaked in at me and saw me sleeping easily, like the other female. Another done. I turned to look at her and found the black eyes again, staring.

***

I fell to where I was, on the cliff. The girl lay next to me, watching me as I searched through my mind again. The fog had gone. My mind, clear.

'_I'm not this image; I'm just taking the image of who will keep you in future.'_

'How? I'm fast enough to avoid any trainer, and she didn't appear to have any other Pokémon that she used for battle.'

'_Why does she need Pokémon when she can just smoke you out of there? It seemed to work with the other creatures. But your life is simple, you move from one cage to the other. I don't think you feel anything though.'_

I knew that this happened to many people, breeding farms, town pets, only rarely used for battle, but me? I had always thought I would stay at Quiyelle.

'_And that's why you're going to stay human. Because I know you Espeon, you don't want to be like __**that **__and you'll help so many more people if you stay as-you-are.'_

She emphasised the last few words, her eyes going darker with each syllable. I looked away, but she caught my face in her feather light hands and looked into my eyes.

'_You are going to stay human.'_

No, I would not. No, I refuse. No, no, no. Who knew if this was the better idea, but I did not trust her and would not follow any ideas she tried to force upon me.

Giving up, her eyes went a lighter blue, her smile wide, but weaker.

'_You __**are **__stubborn, but fine; you can make the decision then, just don't make the wrong one.'_

Why was she trying to help me? And who was she anyway?

'_Who says I'm trying to help you?'_

I looked at her, frowning but she just raised her eyebrows and span in the air as she disappeared. Her light body soon faded in with the sky. I wasn't 100 per cent sure I didn't dream that little event, because soon I felt my eyes shut and did not appear to open them again for a long time. Even when I did, the sky was bright again with the morning sun and Aiden was sitting just behind me, Flint foraging for food in the surrounding bushes.

'Huh, so did you two come to find me?'

I joked, yawning as I did so. But apparently this joke was not funny; Aiden gave me a weird glance, then stood up, stretching.

'I still have to watch you.'

He mumbled, for no one to hear. Except that I did. I suppose that was some compensation. He didn't want to be here, but he had to, so he was stuck with me. Most people would feel sorry for him but I was going to make the most out of this opportunity, now that I know he can't leave. He will have to forgive me eventually.

---

_Every time I add a new chapter, I get, what 50 people or so reading this? This good, I have a few people reading my stories but then when I break it down, chapter by chapter, there's really one about 5 of you. I need to pick up numbers or end it, so I beg you to please tell me what you want in this, or I don't think I actually have the effort to carry on with it. This chapter, if I don't have enough readers, __**I'm just stopping.**_

_ML_


	11. As A Matter Of Fact, I Do

---Aiden, Day... Who cares?

I suppose you all think that I've overreacted. I should get over it. But you don't know me. You only go on what you've been told. Well, I'm Aiden. At least, that's what Hannah called me, and that's all I've known, so call me that.

Is it hard to think that someone could actually cope well with being transferred into human? Before, their ways, their traditions, were such a mystery to me, now they're all clear and I've had my dreams come true. I can understand them. I am one of them.

Willow was completely against this, and I think that will be her downfall. She resists it but that just means that when she discovers even the tiniest detail of a memory fading, she panics and loses the whole memory altogether. I could warn her, but I was in no state to help anyone at the moment.

***

I was annoyed, more hellishly furious, with her. And partly with me. I had found the perfect way to link my Pokémon side with my human side and, surprise surprise, there had been a clause. How had I not seen that coming? And now, with the consequences already taking their toll, I took this all out on her. She didn't deserve all of it, but.... she could have told me. Before I let my hopes up.

Today was not an exception to my hatred. It had faded, only slightly, from when it had first ignited. I could stand to talk to her, but as soon as she looked at me... all the reasons why I should detest her were there. And although I knew I should get over it, my feelings were too strong; I couldn't turn them around on their decision.

She had already tried to make conversation with me, but I had been sharp in my words and kept them short so she had soon given up. My minds reaction was to run after her and apologize but my heart had kept me grounded, my face a permanent scowl. It had been hurt.

Being a Sunday, soon we would able to get to Mossdeep, tell Hannah's family then go home. Who knows what I'd do then... My memories were weaker, they had faded considerably since I had last checked them but the memories had no longer bare looking at. Rarely now, in the mornings, I had 'blind moments'. They didn't last too long but it was still scary to wake up not knowing where you are, who you're with, who you are. This had lead me to becoming the master of the mental trail of 'breadcrumbs' but I was frightened by the fact that I may forget that fact too. So many things appeared to be slipping from my control.

I walked along the cliffs, like I had done the day before, Flint following on my heels. He often ran between Willow and I during the day, even if he didn't know where one of us was, he set out to find us. He often 'asked' why we were not speaking, but I couldn't exactly explain the whole situation. That was enough for me, let alone an unknowing Pokémon. Still, he persisted asking and I soon took to ignoring him. It was easier.

But today, there was obviously a contest on in the city, there were so many more trainers practising on the beaches and in the wild areas nearby. This distracted Flint as they were good, but as this was the big leagues, what could you expect? One trainer, in particular, was training their glaceon, using ice beam and icy wind at the same time. The glaceon was trying, but not succeeding, completing only one attack. Their trainer however, a young lad, I'd say about 17, was patient. He ran a hand through his rather long black hair and seemed to be thinking of how else to win the competition. It was obviously a beauty contest. Fire type moves had the edge there too.

Feeling my gaze, the trainer turned around to spot Flint and I on the mountain edge overlooking them. He didn't seem annoyed, but placing a hand to block out the light (of which there was more than usual today) he called out to me. I was surprised, but quickly called back.

'Hi?'

'You come down here. Beat the brilliant Lyle and Belle here!'

It wasn't exactly a friendly invitation but his words sounded arrogant. Still, a challenge was a challenge, and I walked with confidence down to the beach below, Flint, cautious, behind me.

'You're glaceon's good.'

A quick compliment to ease any tension, I mean I had just been watching them before, they may have thought we were competition spying to find out their tips.

'Thanks, we've been working loads but I think we just need a few battles. What's your name?'

'Oh, right. I'm Aiden and this is Flint. We're not co-ordinators, just... wanderers.'

'Ah, good to meet you Aiden. Tell me, do you think you can beat my Belle with your Flint?'

He turned to me and smiled eagerly, the message well received. I looked to Flint and he nodded, already snorting smoke of his nostrils. I was geared up, ready to beat 'his Belle' quickly with the type advantage.

'Okay, let's go! Belle, ice beam!'

An ice attack, they must have some water type attacks too? Still, a win's a win.

'Flint, flamethrow-'

'STOP!'

We both looked up, I spotting Willow first, watching us from where I had stood only moments ago. My moods changed from surprise to disgust faster than I could think possible. I was eager to continue the battle but Willow was soon down at the 'battlefield' and looked at me with widened eyes.

'You** can't** battle that Pokémon!'

'Why not? You battled that electrike! And Flint's our Pokémon!'

'Yeah, but that was different. It wasn't as if it was a_ vulpix_.'

She looked at me hard, defying me to ignore the clear signal she was sending to me. She felt like kin to that Pokémon. Looking back to Belle, I could see it wanted desperately to fight. Willow watched it like a concerned parent but I ignored her pleas.

'Flint, flamethrower!'

Flint acted quickly and it hit the glaceon straight on, causing it to fly back and hit the ground hard.

'NO!'

'Hey! Unfair! Okay now Belle, let's get out revenge! Water pulse!'

Willow's face was a mix of anger, pain and pity for the glaceon but I was too engrossed in the battle to care. Now that the water type was coming out, Flint and I had to be in our top form and concentrating.

'DODGE Flint! Good, sandstorm!'

I didn't know if Flint knew all these attacks, but he seemed to have a higher knowledge of these moves and soon was digging himself into the sand, before Belle could call another water pulse.

'A ground move? We have a water type move you know?'

Lyle seemed to have taken the bait. I stifled my smirk, give away the plan too soon and I could be risking the match.

'Belle! Fill the numel's tunnel with water pulse! Hurry!'

The glaceon flit from side to side in a blue blur before it was at the entrance to the tunnel.

'Now, Flint, Sandstorm and finish the attack!'

Stopping the water pulse's process in its tracks, the sand around the arena wildly whipped into the air, aiming itself deliberately at Belle. She was buffeted by the storm while Flint burst from the ground, straight at her. She fell, but was soon up on our feet again. I couldn't do that combo again now, they would see it coming. I felt a tug at my arm, like someone was trying to pull me away and I saw Willow, struggling with genuine tears in her eyes.

'Please.'

She choked out that one word, with enough emotion to make me think clearly for a moment, but I could finish this. I could win.

My mind soon fogged over with the thrill I was getting from this battle. I pulled my arm away from her grasp, leaving her gazing at me. I knew she had a hatred for battles, but... she had to get used to it. She had done it before; I was just evening the score.

'Focus energy, Flint!'

I was counting on Belle needing some time to recuperate but she seemed ready, she was obviously well trained.

'Belle, water pulse! Then quick attack!'

This hit Flint head on, causing him to soar to the other side of the arena. He struggled to his feet and seemed strong but I knew he was in a weaker state than the glaceon. I needed something powerful, but something that could keep him away from her attack range.

'Flint, try magnitude!'

Immediately, the ground shook, stronger than it had with the electrike. This caused Belle, along with Lyle, to fall to their feat, bouncing painfully into the ground. Leaving the Pokémon as an open target.

'Now, return!'

This was my risk. I didn't know whether he could like us so much in such a short time to make this attack strong, but he ran and hit the glaceon with such strength that she flew in the air and landed on the ground, half burying herself in the soft sand. It was over.

Lyle got to his feet and recalled his Pokémon, a smile still strong across his face.

'Well, I guess we have more work to do. That was a good battle anyway, thanks Aiden. Thanks Flint.'

I smiled, offering my hand to shake his. He accepted the offer and we ended the match in a 'good sportsmanship' kind of way. I beamed at Willow but she was sitting in the sand, poking her finger in the sand, listlessly making shapes. I knelt down to her level.

'Look, okay? I'm sorry. But they're not dead. Let's just call it even? I'm no longer mad at you. I forgive you.'

She looked at me with a look of hurt, but a weak smile soon appeared on her lips, this was as good as she was going to get from me in a proper apology.

'You gonna talk to me properly again?'

My smile widened, helping her up from the sand. I turned to Flint and found that a white light engulfed him. He was a silhouette of light. He was evolving.

The shape changed from the familiar one of Flint to one that was huge, the white expanding and morphing, until it was something at least five times the size of our Flint. He was now a Camerupt. Well at least now, he could give us lifts on his back. But when he goes to public places, he would have to be kept in his poke ball. That would please Willow.

He was pretty happy with the arrangement however, he cried out, his voice now a deep, rumbling, bass that shook the floor almost as much as magnitude. Willow was in awe too, patting his fiery red coat with her hand, which was tiny in comparison, and with no words to say, smiled.

At least now I had found a decent link to my Pokémon side again. There didn't appear to be any obvious flaws, but I was sure they were to come. They would all come sooner or later.

---

_Well, thanks for the feedback. To be honest, I have grown a liking for these characters, it's just that I don't want to write it for just me; I want others to enjoy it! I already have a big twist ready; I can't give up now ;)_

_MoonLynx_


	12. I Trusted You

--- Espeon Day 10

All I know is that today is Monday. The boat had arrived to confirm my fact.

I had been eager to get on it as soon as possible but Aiden had objected, stating that while we were near one of the biggest shopping centres, we should stock up on stuff. Although I retaliated saying that we had no money, he claimed to have another way. A way, I knew, that would be slightly... illegal.

'But we need money to buy clothes!'

I had complained; quiet so that only he could hear. The shop was crowded but they weren't concentrating on us, just the rails and rails of coloured clothing.

'No one will miss a few scraps. Now shut up and act normal.'

He hissed at me, picking up a few pieces of clothing from the rails, only a small fraction of what some people took. And those people looked shiftier than us. Did he know if they fit? He seemed to be picking up only certain ones, but since when had Aiden known how to steal anyway?

I sulked, following close behind, arms crossed. No clothes interested me, I was happy in the ones I had, but Aiden had joked many times that people may get suspicious of a girl who has no interest in clothing. Humans were so materialistic.

Before we were at the entrance, Aiden picked up the security tag that was the link between this store and prison, and melted it with one, weak ember. My eyes widened, not with the act of theft he was committing, but that he still dared to use attacks. Our friendship took the strongest blow because of that and he still carried on? I looked at him, my face shocked but instead of smirking at me, as he usually did, he bit his lip, his eyes flashing confidence contrasting the panic I had in mine.

'What-are-you-doing?'

I asked slowly, my voice too loud in the shop. He looked up, checking to see if any workers had heard me, before replying.

'I can handle it. It's... it's just too natural a thing to let go. I'll be quick.'

This seemed too much like an addiction. I wanted to stop him but he had finished before I had figured out what to say. We walked out of the shop, my legs moving mechanically, my mind reeling. Could we control such compulsions? I had cut using attacks out of my life completely, for now, but I knew they were there, ready at my fingertips. Is it possible to be rid of them forever? Or would they force me into corruption?

Aiden kept walking, the clothing fluttering slightly at the pace he was walking at. Were they the root of evil? Aiden turned and smiled at me as we walked, a sign of reassurance, but it wasn't me who needed it most now...

***

The boat did not have a long queue. Most Pokémon trainers came from Mossdeep to Lilycove, not the other way round. Lilycove did have the main Pokémon contest arena after all, and the shopping centre of Hoenn. I was stiff in my new clothes, they were the right size amazingly, but the style was tight and I felt awfully exposed after my simple outfit from before. A skirt than barely went over my knees, the top that seemed to show every detail of my torso, and heels. Who could walk in them?

Forcing me forward, Aiden hadn't tried to change his style; he was in a t-shirt and jeans, the norm for most of the trainers I had seen. His hair however seemed more ruffled, the curls longer and stuck out in a mess. Running a hand through mine, the straight locks fell into order; I suppose I didn't have much trouble controlling it, although it was lilac.

I lay here now, on the cabin bed thinking. Aiden had gone with Flint to check out the battles on the top deck. We were on this boat for eight hours, checking round the ship there was a large hall with a few people in it, but nothing interesting. I intended to sleep away the time but my eyes refused to close, staring instead at the ceiling of the room. My thoughts kept me awake but this body was tired, the emotional stress always wearing it down. I was thirsty also but it was a dull scratch blocked out by the depth of my thoughts. I tried to relive my oldest memories but they had changed, twisted, blank before the end.

I left the cabin, hoping that a quick walk around may clear may head and allow me to feel tired again. I knew I had plenty of hours of sleep to catch up on. I must have stayed in my cabin longer than I thought for the hall I had passed before had been decorated with lights and there was some light music playing. It seemed sweet and as that appeared to be all that this ship contained, it did not have much to compete with. A hall, an outside deck and some cabins, well it was a free service, the likelihood was no one stayed long.

I crossed the floor, hearing the clack of my heels reach the wooden surface. I tried to move quickly but the sound just became louder. I sat at a stool on the other side, near the bar area, tugging my skirt over my knees.

'Drink?'

I jumped but realised it was just a man behind the bar. Smiling nervously I shook my head but immediately regretted it. The burn in my throat flared up at the mention of quenching it, but I didn't want to embarrass myself further by changing my mind. Acting normal... such fun. He shrugged and carried on clearing things up, obviously preparing for a kind of party.

***

The hall was packed full with people. It had only been a few hours but couples, groups and single people had crammed themselves onto the floor, the music changing from ambient to dance. I had stuck to my stool, watching the crowd curiously. The movements they made, there was such a trance like atmosphere to it, but I couldn't feel myself getting into it. There was no sign of Aiden, he would not feel the night's chill. He would be out there as long as possible.

'Hey, want a drink?'

I slowly turned my head to meet a new face. A girl, with neat, short, brown hair that seemed to spike slightly upwards. My thirst was gnawing away at me now so I nodded eagerly, afraid to hear the sound my voice would be. She smiled and ordered two drinks. Mine was strong smelling, light pink in colour. I was suspicious of it but soon I was past caring. I did not drink fast, but deep, my throat slowly warming with each sip, a salty aftertaste left with every taste. I realised quickly to not drink it all at once but savour it, the flavour too strong to take all at once.

'So what's your name? I'm Natasha.'

I was unsure whether to trust her but she gave me a drink and had been the only person so far to approach me. She seemed to be concentrating on the crowd as I had done but I was sure the question was aimed at me.

'Willow. Thank you for the drink.'

I was quiet, my voice weak after the burning thirst. Still, she heard me and turned to look at me, her lips stretching into a smile as she examined my hair.

'Why do you have purple hair? You a goth?'

I had heard those terms before, oddly the people in the woods of home used to refer to themselves as 'Braniac Steve' or 'Cue-ball Dave' but I shook my head, realising then that no one had asked me before.

'I like it this way.'

I finished my drink while she smiled, amused by my answer.

'Want to dance?'

Dance? By the looks of things, it was a fun, energetic activity but it was loud, and I was scared to get involved in the rabble.

She must have seen my expression because she quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me into the group, bringing me to the centre of it before I could protest. She let go of me and began moving her body in time to the music, copying the others around her. It was odd and as much as I tried, my body was too reluctant to move, restrained by my fear. Natasha laughed, causing me to smile at myself. Okay, so I wasn't a great dancer, but I didn't think that would be an issue.

'Come on, you party animal, let's go somewhere quieter.'

Relieved, I followed her anxiously. My mind was feeling a little lighter, my eyesight blurring at the sides but I didn't notice, thinking that I was just feeling the fatigue I had fought for so long.

'We could go to my cabin, it's pretty empty.'

My suggestion was just a thought but Natasha seemed pretty eager to get there. I grew groggier as we went further, my pace slowed and soon I had to rely on resting on the wall to stay upright. The hallway before my cabin door, she stopped and turned to face me, I looked at her but I couldn't think, everything was blurry. Her expression was odd, her eyes concentrated on mine. She took a step toward me and suddenly I felt alone, vulnerable. Aiden.

Before I was able to turn away and shout for help she had crushed her lips to mine. This felt wrong, but my mind was too fogged over to concentrate, to make my mind move. She kissed me furiously, trying to force me to the floor. I tried to push her off me but my arms felt heavy and I fell, feeling my lips being forced to kiss back.

Was this the way humans fell in love? They kissed, they knew that they belonged. I didn't feel anything but the weight of the girl on my chest, trying to undo my top. She threw my hands over her pulling herself forward. This was nothing like I had imagined with Aiden, this was more... desperate. More needed. But it was not her needing, it was mine. I needed to belong to something, to someone. If I didn't have Quiyelle, then I was just a wanderer. An aimless soul.

She undid my top and I was... I don't know. But this felt fake. The salt, the drink, fixed. Only could I make the connection now. I tried to loosen my grip of her but I couldn't, I couldn't move. I was at her mercy. Her weight was suddenly shifted off me, but I couldn't see what had happened. Only the ceiling again. The painful light...

'Glace-Glaceon-Ce!'

My senses suddenly snapped back into place. I needed to move. Get away from Natasha. The Pokémon beside me tried to help me as I struggled to stand up but I felt heavy, so it soon disappeared, leaving me on the ground. I turned my head slowly, glimpsing a look to where Natasha should have been. There was nothing. Was the glaceon's attack so powerful that it pushed her all the way down the hall, or had she just ran? I felt a burning hatred as I relived the last ten minutes; trust was a precious thing now. I had trusted her as a friend; I had trusted Aiden to help me. Where was he?

'Willow?'

Looking the opposite way I saw the glaceon and its trainer, it was Lyle. I smiled weakly, happy to see a familiar face.

'What happened? Where's that boy, Aiden, you normally travel with?'

I felt myself being pulled and leant against the wall. I realised I couldn't answer any of those questions. I didn't want to think about the first and the second, where had he been? Shouldn't we have stayed together?

Lyle helped me up, and supported me as I made my way into the cabin. I fell on the bed, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

'I'm going to find Aiden, I will leave Belle with you, I will be back within a half hour whether I find him or not.'

I forced a smile on my face, fighting back the terror that I felt when he mentioned leaving. At least I had Belle with me but... where was Aiden? He was my only thought. Aiden. Why had he betrayed me? I heard the door shut as Lyle left and I curled onto my side, gripping the covers tight.

***

'Willow?'

Had it been a few minutes already? I was peaceful for a second before the memories came back and I shuddered. His face was very close to mine and he was near enough whispering in my ear.

'I'm so sorry Willow. Truly I am. I mean... sorry.'

He pulled away from me and turned to face, I presume, Lyle.

'Thanks, you can't imagine how much.'

'Where were you?'

I couldn't imagine that Pokémon battles would take up his whole evening, even Lyle would be surprised by that concept, but I couldn't think what else he could be doing. I didn't want to think anymore. It was a painful process. Too many terrors to go through.

'I was just held up. I guess I was longer than I thought.'

'You can say that again....'

The door closed silently, I think for my benefit but I was already too tired, no mere sound would stop this now. I drifted gently as the waves rolled beneath me but they were troubled too. Tossed with the oncoming of a storm...

---

_Quite a long chapter but I feel I owe you as I have posted this at the very limit of the timescale. This was one of the hardest ideas to write but I only realised yesterday that I have only have a few ideas left before this can end, unless I go on after the mission. Hmm, I need to think about it._

_Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


	13. What Is Normal Anymore?

---Espeon Day 11

What am I meant to say? How I'm feeling? My body, my mind was becoming weaker. The strength that I had once held, I had used, was withering away. I was lost. I hadn't realised before, but I was depending on Aiden and Flint more and more, to guide me. Without Aiden, I don't think I would've got to Mossdeep on time, but I had. We were there, the island was no longer just a shape in the distance.

This morning was one of the hardest to wake up to. I found myself clutching the covers tighter than when I was awake, and I was covered in a cold sweat. Aiden was asleep on his bed, snoring loudly. I didn't want to move, in case she was here, in case she had decided to wait.

For what?

She had run last night, she would hardly return just so that I was able to fight back. Focusing on the desk beside me, I saw the familiar red glint of a poke ball. I reached out slowly and pulled back the ball so that I held it close to my chest. I would not let go of it today, if she came anywhere near, I could set Flint out on her.

'Willow?'

I hadn't noticed the snoring stop. Aiden yawned, his question heavy with sleep. I was angry at him for leaving me alone, but I was happier he was awake, I felt more comforted. He looked at the poke ball I held then back at me.

'Willow, I-'

'The boat is arriving in Mossdeep within the hour. Please be ready to get off as soon as we arrive.'

The speaker boomed loudly in our room, I shook at the sound, nearly releasing Flint into the cabin. I calmed myself down quickly, but Aiden was already next to me, he seemed too ready for my sudden breakdowns now.

'I'm fine. Just, well, I'll get over it.'

_Snap out of it! You're fine. Nothing happened. What has happened to you? Since when you have become the vulnerable victim?_ I was yelling at myself, the words so filled with venom I could feel each stab the words made to me.

Aiden watched me for a moment, but seemed distracted by something else. I smiled, trying to convince him I was fine, and he seemed to buy it. He stretched, his frame huge compared to my own. I sat up, carefully feeling the poke ball that fit easily into the palm of my hand. It could shrink, from the size of a golf ball to the size of a big tennis ball, did Flint ever feel that? The growth of his space?

Before I could think things through further, a knock banged on our door. I leapt to my feet, the ball ready. Aiden stopped me before I could order a flamethrower to burn the door, and whoever was behind it, to a crisp. He offered a hand to take the ball, but I held it tight to me. I wasn't letting it go; I'd just have to learn to be a little less... jumpy.

'You up yet? We don't have long now!'

A familiar voice boomed through the door, Lyle. Aiden opened the door and immediately the room was filled with the smells of delicious foods.

'You can read my mind.'

Aiden happily received most of the dishes off of Lyle, but I was a little more wary. I know he was the one who saved me last night, but that doesn't mean I can just take food off of strangers. And that was what I considered him as I didn't know anything about him.

'You any better Willow?'

I smiled weakly, but noticing Belle at his feet, I backed away to the comfort of my bed. I didn't want her to see me, she may still notice my unhuman like qualities, and I still felt a weird connection to her, damn Eeveelution link!

'Umm, I'm better. I suppose I could do with some food though.'

I joked lightly, and gratefully received a plate of breakfast. It was only a fraction of the amount Aiden was eating but it filled me up full. Flint's ball remained on the mattress next to me, but I kept glancing down at it every few seconds, in case she was there. Under the bed. Ready to take any weapons I had.

I didn't want to say her name, she was just she. Belle seemed to notice my tension, watching me with curiosity. I tried to cover my face but her stare... it was so strong I could feel it.

'Oh sorry, is she bugging you? Belle, come here.'

Lyle only seemed to notice when I, near enough, had my face in my food. The glaceon watched me a few more seconds before responding to the call, and by that time Aiden seemed to finally get the message that there was something wrong.

'Oh looks like we better go. Well, Lyle, nice to see you again. I wish you the best of luck.'

'Same to you, but where are you headed on such a small island?'

'Oh some people we know here, a surprise visit, I don't think she'll be up for it today though.'

She? She has a name. In fact, she is in this exact room. Why are they talking about me when I am right here? I can decide whether I can see them or not today. Well, truthfully, I didn't want to see those people at all, ever, and the fact that he called them some people 'we knew' put me off further. He _did_ know them, through Hannah, but I didn't. To them, I was soon to known as the murderer of their daughter. Their little girl.

'Well, I'm not doing much today, I was just coming here to train and check out the Space Station, do you mind if I go around with you guys for the day?'

Aiden looked to me. I didn't mind Lyle, he was quite a nice guy, and I owed him a favour after he had saved me from her. But Belle. I didn't know what to think of her. Would it be so bad if she knew what I was? She seemed intelligent enough to find out but would she tell Lyle? Would she find a way without speaking?

'Yeah, of course. I mean like Aiden said, I'm pretty, well... shaken up and tired, but I suppose that just means we're going to have a relaxing day.'

I saw Aiden smile in the corner of my eye; did he know me too well? Would he know I wouldn't have the guts to face Hannah's family today? That I would be able to face another Pokémon? I knew barely anything about him, but maybe that was just me. Maybe I was too blindsided with my own issues at the moment to be able to notice anyone else's.

***

The boat was not as full as I had thought, there were barely more than the number I had seen last night in the dance hall. Surely there must have been a few on the battle deck? Otherwise Aiden would have just been out there alone.

We got off the boat quickly, soon realising that the boat had simply dropped us off on the beach off Mossdeep. They had no port here? It wasn't a long walk to the town but I was tired of walking around. This was meant to be my final destination; surely my biggest challenge would have been the emotional anguish I'd face soon.

'So, what do we want to do?'

Aiden walked, his arms rested on the back of his head. I was walking at a snails pace and I could see that both Lyle and Aiden were eager to move faster. I hadn't released Flint yet, too scared that she could attack me in the brief seconds it took for Flint to stable himself. I was getting paranoid.

'Well, I know we're not to be getting anywhere at this rate.'

Lyle raised his eyebrows at me, his mouth turned up in a smile. Strange, although he was a few years older than me, he was shorter. His height only about 5 ft 5 but his face gave him away, made him seem a lot more mature than me. I glared at him, deliberately beginning to slow my pace further. Aiden intervened quickly before I exploded and pounded the midget.

'Okay, calm down, Willow, why don't you just get a lift off Flint? He won't notice your weight and he needs some fresh air.'

I glared at him too, for taking Lyle's side, but called out Flint, the camel taking a moment to take in the scenario. Patting his deep red fur, I sighed and settled myself in between his volcano like humps. Strangely, despite his bulky physique, he was fast.

Lyle and Aiden, and even Belle, were eager to race, glad now they didn't have me slowing them down. This encouraged the camel and soon Flint was galloping over the shore, zooming ahead of the others. The sand rapidly turned to ground and that meant the town was near. Flint stopped; amused at himself for beating the two boys but Belle had managed to keep pace with us. She unnerved me; she was silent, hard to read, compared to Flint. What was she thinking?

'Okay, you beat us, but I came a close second!'

Lyle was panting, patting the side of Flint as he caught his breath.

'Actually you come, first, second, third... Fourth.'

I counted us, so smug that my eyebrows raised higher that his. He glared at me, our positions reversed, but Aiden caught our attention, walking slowly towards us.

'Yep, I come last in this race. But I just see it as an endurance run; we still have the whole day to go yet.'

He patted Lyle's back, who was now bent over, his face white with the prospect of walking for the rest of the day.

***

It wasn't until we reached a small patch of woodland, new to the town, that our troubles began. We had gone at a steady pace, I still relaxed on Flint, the boys chatting away about Pokémon, a subject they had in common. Belle was a little ahead of us; her interest had waned on me for now, so she was happy to lead the way. But she suddenly stopped, her ears pointed forward, her whole body frozen, concentrated on something.

'Search it out Belle, bring it into view.'

Lyle had managed to steal forward, next to Belle, without me noticing. They had obviously done this before, but I was too curious, too absorbed in what they were doing, to make a link. Before I could, Belle leapt into the undergrowth, the body sleek and silent. There were few sounds of rustling, but the one that finally made me see the connection was the surprised and pained cry of a Pokémon.

A Zangoose burst from the thicket, in the middle of punching its claws at Belle. She managed to avoid most of the attack, catching it briefly on the side, but fought back with an ice beam.

'Good, freeze it first, wear it down Belle, then we'll get it!'

I turned to Lyle in horror; I had never thought that this would happen. But Lyle was so calm, so used to this? His stance steady, his eyes now held a steely tone. Was this the joking person I had talked to before?

Belle was quick, avoiding the hits that the Zangoose threw at her, using so many attacks to hit him back. I felt pity for the creature. He was being beaten badly and my old instinct was firing me on to save him. But I couldn't. Even Flint wanted to be part of the action but I managed to control him.

Aiden put an arm on my shoulder. To comfort me? Or to hold me back? I turned my head to look at him but his expression was hidden, a mask I couldn't see through. I guess it was to hold me back, to stop me from raising any more suspicion on us.

I turned back to the fight and saw the Zangoose panting on the ground, the glaceon waiting for it to move, so she could attack again. Lyle pulled a great ball out of his pocket and tossed it at the zangoose. That movement was too casual, too natural a movement. It shook so many times, and each time I prayed for it to escape, but it was too weak and it didn't look like Belle was tiring.

'Well done, Lyle, that'll be a good fighter when it's trained.'

Lyle smiled back at him, admiring the ball he now held in his hand. How could Aiden act so natural? Was that not eating away at him too? I was furious at both of them but I stifled it with a smile.

This would be over soon.

---

_Yay for lack of homework. This is more of a filler chapter, I am desperately trying to come up with these before the big events happen and it all ends. Hope you enjoy it and keep reviewing._

_Thank You_

_MoonLynx_


	14. What I Deserve

--Aiden...Day That Never Ended

I suppose I was happy for Lyle, he was a good guy; his face still had the widest smile I had ever seen, his eyes shining bright. Belle herself was happy too, feeding off the joy that her owner felt. Even Flint was happy, his large feet shaking the ground with his dancing steps. The only person who wasn't happy was Willow. Don't get me wrong, she looked the part, her smile seemingly happy, her whole posture not giving away a thing but her eyes... They held a shine, but hers was from tears. Could she not be genuinely happy with her friend?

'I guess I should call this guy out?'

I looked to Lyle, and shrugged. I wasn't really too bothered, we had plenty of time to do what we needed then travel back to Quiyelle. I knew Willow would hate me for this but, as hard as it was to admit it, I wanted to fit in here. I wanted to be human. I didn't want my memories to be taken from me forcefully, that was true too, but I wouldn't mind living like this. I didn't see why she had such an objection. She would want to talk all about this capturing business later but I couldn't say anymore than what I already had, I would just be repeating myself and she would just get upset. I guess human girls were more emotional.

'Okay, let's check him out.'

I heard Lyle shout in excitement, but I wasn't really too excited about his new Pokémon. Still, I turned my gaze, to catch the blue ball being thrown into the air, releasing a white light and soon, there was a Zangoose with us.

Strong. That was my first instinct, and loyal. But then again, weren't all Zangoose? I guess you can't really tell if any Pokémon is unique to its species until you've studied them for a while. Every species had traits; it would be more likely for you to see one with a different coloured pelt than with unique characteristics. Still, it turned to look at all of us, Flint, Willow, Belle, me then finally resting on Lyle.

It was scary, for that brief moment, that Zangoose looked at me as if committing my face to its memory, but I didn't know whether that meant he wanted to be my friend or just kill me. Either was possible. His face gave nothing away and I suppose I was slightly distracted by its long claws, gleaming a deep black shade in the sunlight.

'Wow. Well... what do you think Aiden? Willow?'

Lyle was as astounded as I was, his eyes scanning the whole creature over before turning to us. I gave off a low whistle; knowing that would satisfy Lyle as a reply. Willow, too choked up with her emotions, nodded, her eyes shining brighter than before. She was close to breaking. Flint was happier for him though, his loud bellow expressing what he felt quite clearly.

'Thanks Flint. Hey, Willow, you okay?'

'So, um, you gonna think of a name for him or do you think he can choose it for himself?'

I joked lightly, trying my hardest to clear the air, and keep Lyle from concentrating too much on what was wrong with Willow. Still, the unnamed Zangoose looked at me, his eyes now questioning, but still stern. It seemed that all if its species were stuck with that expression.

'Well... name wise, I reckon I should do it because otherwise he may just be named 'Zangoose' for eternity and I just don't think that's right.'

I nodded along with him, I did agree with what he said, but I did think that the creature should play some part in it also... I didn't know Lyle well, but I knew that trainers could name their Pokémon something as bad as 'Superdude'. Sort of humiliating.

'Let's see, you're strong, I mean those claws of yours look pretty sharp. And you have a pretty mean expression there... would Calibre suit you?'

Calibre? As in the gun? It wasn't my Pokémon, but I wasn't sure whether it suited him, but Lyle was taken with it, shaking with excitement. I guess he'd already decided.

'That's it! That's it! That's what you're going to be called!'

Where was the mature trainer I had seen before? They had looked professional, commanding Belle well but now, I guess the realisation of his success had just hit him. Looking to Willow, I saw she had given up getting upset over this, it had happened, too late to change it. She hadn't really fought against me earlier, maybe she was accepting that this was the way things happened here.

By this time, Belle was inspecting the new arrival but Flint was deciding to relax in the sun, verging on the edge of sleep. Still, Calibre wasn't looking any calmer, keeping a wary eye on the glaceon. He knew that this was the one who'd beaten him.

'The sun's beginning to head down, if we head back to the town now, we may make it back before dark.'

I observed quietly, knowing that I had to wake Lyle up from whatever day dream he was in. But instead of frowning at me for being too careful, like I had expected, he smiled at me and reached a hand out to ruffle the top of Calibre's head.

_Too quick, too quick had all of this happened. I wasn't really concentrating, why hadn't I been paying attention? Somehow, even without really seeing it, I could catch every movement. It wasn't in slow motion, but my reactions were sped up, possibly with the adrenaline rush from fear, and I could see it like that. _

_As soon as his hand had made contact with Calibre, the Pokémon had lashed out, one set of claws forcing the hand away from him, the other pushing up, into Lyle's jaw. Then, before my mind had processed those images, a light blue blur hit Calibre, leaving Lyle to fall to the ground, bleeding. Even at this speed, Belle was too fast to see, fury spurring her on. What could I do? I was watching this, stunned, knowing that I should do something, stop the fight, help Lyle but I couldn't move, I guess my body was to still catch up with me._

_The blood, the blood, the awful blood. Even with the fight raging on, my eyes were fixed on Lyle's limp body, this was torture. But, before a few seconds had passed, my reactions caught up with me. This sudden release left me stunned, but before I left to run for Lyle, I looked to Willow, she was as shocked as I but as soon as she looked at me, she held the same message as me:_

_Help._

Willow

I never realised. That what I did to humans, what I did to protect the others around me, was evil. I had never killed anyone before Hannah, just injured them, but what Calibre had done to Lyle, I was angry with Calibre but also shocked. He could fight the allure of the great ball? It could have been his instincts, caught off-guard by Lyle but no Pokémon would have retaliated that strongly. No wonder Belle had fought back so hard. It was the same for the treeko with me. But now the battle was almost over, the flash of colours slowing in pace.

Aiden had ran to Lyle's side, trying to control the bleeding, feel his pulse, help in any way he could. I couldn't help him, I was back in the memory of Hannah's death and the blood, the terrible blood, was too much to bear. I collapsed to my knees, feeling useless but before I could shed a tear, Belle had finished with the Zangoose and ran to her trainer's side. Calibre was sorely beaten, his skin torn and fur bloody and in patches. Was it what he deserved? He had attacked a person yes, but that trainer had attacked him first with a Pokémon and imprisoned him. Then again... it was Lyle, nothing could justify attacking my friend.

'Willow! Come help me move Lyle!'

I looked at Lyle, or what had been Lyle, and shook my head furiously. I couldn't, I just couldn't.

'Willow, this is **not** the time. Come here!'

'You shouldn't move him, he could have broken something. Just call an ambulance.'

'You think I have a phone on me? The town is miles away!'

Belle intervened in our argument and pawed at Lyle's pocket. She was calmer than both of us and she had a very good reason of why not be. Aiden reached into Lyle's pocket carefully, and found a phone. An old fashioned phone but it seemed to work well. Aiden shouted some desperate words in the phone while I managed to make my way over to him, avoiding looking at or touching Lyle and any of the... blood.

'They'll be here soon. They said to keep pressure on the wounds.'

How deep had that punch hit? Through to the brain? I hadn't been fast enough to catch a good enough view but I could imagine it would be pretty bad. I rested my hand on the ground and felt my hand touch something. I first retracted my hand hastily, thinking it was blood or something else as horrible but, looking down, I saw the great ball, Calibre's ball.

I lifted it to my face, noticing that there were no notches, no splatters of blood on it even though Lyle had been holding it. Would Lyle still want Calibre? Would he remember what had happened? If he did survive this. The ball gleamed in the light, too innocent to cage such a beast. I felt the hidden energy emerge from within me and the ball broke in two, cracks appearing around the edges of the halves and soon they disintegrated too. A purple light shone around both the pieces of the ball and Calibre but now he wasn't Calibre, he was another Zangoose.

'What did you just do?'

Aiden was looking at me with the same expression I had looked at him that day in the shop. But I wasn't panicking; I felt pride in what I had done. But Aiden mustn't know that I had done it just to feel a link to Quiyelle.

'Do you really think that Lyle would keep him? Do you think they'd keep him alive? At least this gives them both a second chance.'

'You think that thing deserves one after what he's done to our friend? You know the real reason why you've done this but you can stick to that if you want to.'

I glimpsed up at Aiden but he was too busy focused on Lyle. Belle too, was watching Lyle's face, not daring to move, only the slight movements showed that she was alive, not just a statue. The both of them, who knew what would happen if he didn't wake? I was sure that Aiden was linking this to Hannah's death, just as I was, but Belle, she would not forget this. She would never forgive the former Calibre.

'-Rupt.'

I was surprised to see Flint at my side, and not Aiden's. He looked down at me, his eyes gentle and comforting. He knew I was tearing up inside, this internal conflict. I was Calibre...

'Thank you.'

He may not be able to understand why I said that. But, as we sat there waiting for the ambulance, he waited with me, stayed with me.

---

_I guess with me being away this weekend, I wanted to get this done now, the only time I've ever worked on this during a school week (no, Friday evenings do not count). _

_Poor Lyle, another filler chapter but at least it's given me more ideas on where to go with this. Oh but there is a big twist coming, you shall see._

_Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


	15. The Accused

Willow Day...13

Every second was just another load of information thrown at me. Seeing as we weren't family, the doctors were reluctant to give us the details of Lyle's injuries but seeing as the only vague relative of his with us was Belle, they had decided to tell us quickly. I couldn't take it in though; they kept speaking as if he were in the past, rather than the now. But Aiden played the part, nodding when he needed to, asking the key questions I couldn't bear to say. How severe were the injuries? Will he wake up? Will he survive?

No, within hours of the accident we were in a hospital room, sitting next to his bed. The gentle beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room asides from the occasional shuffle of feet. It was a small, but private, room. We had to forcibly put Belle away in her ball; her cries shrill as we did so. If he died now, she wouldn't forgive us but the hospital had a rule of no Pokémon except staff. Pokémon as staff? All they could be were assistants. No chance of an alakazam as a surgeon. Or a jynx as a receptionist. No, we were limited in our uses, always to follow, never to lead.

'Sun's up.'

The silence was broken along with my path of thoughts. That happens too easy now. I turned to the window; the sky was lit bright pink, turning orange. How long had we been here? It seemed such a short time but now it was a new day. The old one forgotten. Every day is a new start, a fresh canvas. With the same lasting effects.

'I'm going to speak to her family today.'

Aiden looked at me, half shocked for a moment before nodding, understanding. I would need a distraction, I was way more emotional than him, and I would never be able to bring up the courage to do this again any other time.

'Just keep a good eye on Lyle, please.'

I looked away from him then, resting my chin on my hands. This would not be a repeat performance. He would not be Hannah. At least now I could empathise with Hannah's family, these feelings were fresh. I could foresee the questions they would ask.

***

'Willow, just- remember they can't know what we are.'

I was about to leave but this made me stop. Before he hadn't seemed to care whether people knew or not, why was this family any different? Was he worried for me? That if they knew it was me that killed her; they would report the authorities on me? Either way I nodded, too weary to question him now. Both of us were developing dark patches under our eyes, but we were too anxious to even doze. Lyle was doing enough sleeping for the both of us. We would rest after.

***

I was nervous as I left the hospital, knowing I would only have a quick walk to make before I reached the house. Aiden had told me what the house looked like, secluded, rather small with a black roof. A typical home. Hannah's home.

Reaching the house, I felt my nerves flutter around inside me but with that, came courage. There was a small stone path leading up to the door. The house was perched near the edge of the cliffs, giving good views of the seas, the island in the distance. I couldn't help but let my mind picture Hannah, watching the sunset, waiting for her Pokémon journey to start. Forcing my hand to knock on the door took strength, fighting every fibre of my being to run.

'Hello? May I help you?'

_Oh God, I'm sorry_. This middle aged woman opened the door quickly with concerned eyes, not red puffy ones, the ones you get after you've cried. Somehow I was still expecting Tor to have done this job for me. I forced a smile on my lips, inappropriate with the words that conveyed the severity of my purpose.

'Hello, I'm Willow, please may I come inside? I have something to talk to you about, concerning your daughter, Hannah.'

The mother's face lit up when she heard her daughter's name mentioned but within seconds, she could sense the tone and her face creased with worry.

'Hannah? She hasn't called us in days. Is she sick? Is she in trouble?'

At that moment, a man, I presume to be her husband, appeared beside her, his stern stare hitting me hard. He didn't speak but obviously the conversation had worried him and his wife's tone alerted him.

'Please, may I come and talk to you inside?'

I found it very difficult to keep my legs from shaking, to stop my eyes from tearing up and myself from breaking down completely on their front step. They both stepped out of the way of me, an invitation inside. The house was small, the corridor narrow, but it soon opened up into a large living room, complete with fire place. I sat down on a small chair, pointed towards the centre of the room, opposite the parents.

'So, Hannah? Where is she? I know she's on her Pokémon journey. Is that why you're here?'

'No, I'm afraid it isn't. An accident happened while your daughter was in Quiyelle Wood.'

'An accident? Where's Quiyelle Wood? Is she at the hospital?'

_Oh God, just let me speak, stop asking so many questions._ I needed to get through this fast otherwise I would reveal everything.

'Quiyelle is near Fallarbor, it's a popular place for trainers to go to. I'm afraid to say that Hannah did not survive this accident. She's... dead I'm sorry.'

I rushed the last part, so fast that I feared at first the parents didn't hear. But they soon reacted, the mother first, sobbing and crying so terribly, so suddenly, that she had to be supported by her husband. He appeared calm but you could see the tears in his eyes. This was the truth they didn't want to know.

'What happened?'

The man's voice was hoarse, perhaps struggling to fight back his emotions, the question so sudden that it took me a moment to process.

'A... Pokémon attacked her. She was intending on capturing it, you see, and it was too... wild to be caught.'

'How do you know? How long ago was this? How come it has taken all this time to get to us? Her parents!'

He was growing angry, his face red, rising from his seat in order to tower above me. He was not a scary man but this sudden outburst surprised me. My voice was small in reply.

'I... I work in the Wood, a warden, and this was only just over a week ago. Trust me sir, I left as soon as I could to tell you this.'

Maybe not the complete truth, I could have been here a few days earlier if I had really wanted to come, but this was the moment I feared. It was at this time that the mother had finally managed to stable herself, her hand shaky as she supported herself on one arm of the sofa.

'Does Aiden know?'

A-Aiden? How do they know him? Don't they know him as a vulpix? My eyes widened in surprise, showing that I was completely unknowing to this.

'Aiden, her vulpix?'

'No, Aiden her boyfriend, he was going to follow her, keep an eye on her. That vulpix she released a while back, shame really. It was quite cute.'

_Her boyfriend? Her bloody boyfriend?_ Wait, there was still a chance it was a different person.

'Um, could you describe this Aiden to me please? We don't appear to have anything on record.'

'I thought you said you worked in the Wood as a warden? Why would you have records?'

The father chipped in, his eyes now accusing, but I stayed calm, desperate to uncover this new information. I would have to be careful what I said.

'I am, I work on the police side of it, stopping poachers and such.'

'Calm down, Henry, it's not her fault-'

Oh God, how wrong you are but trust me I'm paying back all the pain I caused her with a double load on me. At least the mother had perked up a bit; you could tell she loved talking about her daughter.

'-but Aiden? I'd say he was quite tall, curly hair, quite a kind guy. Hannah thought the world of him. It was nice to see how happy she was with him.'

I didn't want to hear more, but somehow I forced myself to. _See the truth, wake yourself up. He was never yours, he was Hannah's._ Which made it more commendable of him to take me here himself.

'Between you and me, I reckon he was going to surprise her and propose while she was way.'

A happy glint in her eye appeared amidst the tears and I couldn't help but smile, be a comfort to her. I was tearing up inside, so much so that I didn't dare to speak but the silence lengthened and this just allowed the parents to dwell again so I had to distract them, for now.

'I will have to leave soon, but all my deepest sympathies are with you at this time. Do you have any other questions?'

'I have one. When do we get to see our daughter?'

I should have expected that he would have one. He certainly has seemed to have taken a dislike to me but, to be honest; I wasn't too keen on him either. But his question was valid, even if it was rudely put.

'I'm not sure yet, my bosses still want to check her out, run a post-mortem and such. Basically to make sure they know exactly why she died.'

'They're not sure? What kind of institution is running up there where young girls can die and they don't know why?!'

'Henry, calm down! She was eighteen, she was a young women. Responsible for herself. Just stop...'

Only then did I notice the lady's eyes filled to the brim with tears, mere seconds away from crying. They didn't need this, not now. No one did.

'Alice, I need some answers. She was our girl and.... and now she's not. She's not here anymore.'

He knelt down to look at her, his eyes just as bright as hers. I felt awkward where I was.

'I think I better leave, but again I say, I'm truly sorry for your loss.'

'Please, just don't, you can't understand...'

_No, I could never_. I rose from my seat, the two holding each other, obviously waiting for me to leave before they could truly mourn. I walked slowly, taking in the house around me before letting myself out. A blast of cold, sea air hit me, chilling me to my bones. But I had so much on my mind.

Was Aiden lying to me?

Was he Hannah's Aiden?

What had Tor done to her?

Could I really believe that I could go home now? Guilt-free... or at least less guilty.

I hadn't paid much attention to my memories lately, too scared that they would be gone before I could see them for the last time. But now, as I flicked through all the memories and thoughts I had ever had, they were not just fading, they were gone. The only fading memories I had were of the last year. I knew who I was, but not why. I didn't remember the things that had shaped me throughout my life, my parents, my siblings, gone.

I knew I would have to face Aiden sooner or later, even if it was just to check in on Lyle but I had no idea what I was to say to him. I couldn't play normal now. There was too much.

Too much information.

---

_A little twist revealed here, and I'm pretty sure it follows all the rules I've set so far. Sorry if a word is missing an 'a', my key is sticking and i basically have to hit it when typing very fast._

_Oooh, while I have your attention, I would like to point you in the direction of a very good RP site. The site itself has been running for a couple of years go, but now it has a new plot and concept. It's a wolf rpg called Salvation, previously named Sinner at: brokenempire.(proboards).com _

_Just take it out the brackets and put it into your browser. I highly recommend it as I play it (username=lynxie (obvs))_

_Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


	16. Not The Time

Willow Day 14

The walk down the hallway was the hardest. Seeing Aiden. What could I say? I _know who you are?_ But I shouldn't be worrying about that here. Lyle was still injured, until he woke up, he would be the main obstacle to get over. No person here asked us how he had received the injuries, had they? I don't remember telling them of Calibre. Had they just assumed? Or hadn't they cared? Did they distrust us?

'Willow, you're back. How'd it go?'

Oh God, that voice. I turned to look at him, he appeared the same physically, the same comforting smile, the same red waves but he was different. How had he managed to hide his broken heart from me? How had he pushed back the hatred he felt? How was he not bitter? I had thought all this before when he told me he had once been trained by her but now, this was a thousand times worse.

'I-I'm good. It was hard, obviously, but the parents seemed okay. I think.'

I looked away from him, at the ground, not wanting to catch his gaze. My words were slightly mumbled but Aiden would think I was still shaken up from talking to them. Let him think that, it was partly the truth. I walked past him, feeling the entourage of anger building up in me. He had lied.

Lyle was better, according to the nurses I could persuade to talk to me. They were still unsure of us but they sympathised with our situation. But to me, Lyle was exactly the same, his heart beat steady, his face set in the same, blank expression. He would wake up soon. I was told that so many times but nothing ever seemed to change. Why couldn't they tell us the truth, the details? I needed to go and I felt bad by thinking that but I didn't know Lyle that well, I needed to save myself.

I sat next to his bed, holding Belle's poke ball in my hands, gazing out the window to the fields far away. I hadn't known if it was true, but I think Belle felt better if I held her close to Lyle. She had fought bravely; she shouldn't have to suffer like this. But what could I do? Nurses and doctors were watching us closely; they apparently couldn't get in touch with Lyle's family, so we were allowed to stay.

'Nothin' much changed?'

Aiden surprised me, causing me to almost drop the ball in my hands. I didn't turn to look at him, juts grip the poke ball tighter. I had changed from shock to anger, furious rage. I suppose I felt some pity for him to, but his secrets hurt me more. He walked over to the other side of Lyle's bed, checking his face carefully before looking at me.

'You okay?'

What were with all the questions? I had avoided him most of the day just now, when I decided to check in with Lyle did he bombard me with these bombshells. I bit my bottom lip, holding back all the truths that I wanted to scream at him and stared straight at him, hoping then that looks could kill. But before I could finish the delivery, I left, feeling that tears would well up if I had to stare at him for much longer. I had made it halfway down the corridor before I heard his voice echo after me. For God's sake.

'Willow, what the hell is up with you?'

He grabbed my arm and twisted me around, causing me to almost lose my footing. I couldn't keep my grip on my lip and I spoke before I realised I did. Oh God his face, how could he hide such pain?

'I know who you are Aiden.'

'Well I should hope so; we've been travelling for what? A couple of weeks straight now.'

He smiled, bringing one hand up to scratch his head, a thing that would have let him off a few days ago but not now. I was deadly serious. Lethal.

'No, I knew who you were, who you still are. You said you knew Hannah, but you knew her better than that, didn't you?'

He dropped his hand, his whole smile drooping down as well. It took him a moment to think of a response, maybe a moment just to let me gather myself. I didn't know whether I was going to hit him or breakdown, either was possible.

'Ah, Hannah's mother, the good gossip isn't she?'

Okay, I'll punch him. Or use psychic, might as well give up the memories here and now, I don't want these.

'What do you mean? How can you be so calm? You lied to me Aiden. This wasn't as simple as you being her ex-vulpix. This is a million times worse.'

'How so Willow? Does this just make your guilt worse? Is this why you're worried? Did you ever think I lied because of that reason? Besides, why are you angry with me? If anything, you should feel pity.'

He towered over me, his eyes blazing. He clenched his fists and then I felt his hatred. He had blocked it out before, only giving me a brief preview when I met him for the first time. This was so much worse.

I could feel his broken heart screaming at me.

'Aiden, you should have told me. You should have-'

'_W-willow? Aiden?'_

A weak voice sounded inside Lyle's room, he was finally awake. Aiden froze for a moment, conflicted, before walking into his room. I took a while longer, knowing that this conversation wouldn't be over. I wouldn't let it.

By the time I entered the room, Lyle was laughing and joking with Aiden, obviously Aiden was mocking him about the accident. Could Lyle remember?

'Willow, hey, come in here!'

Lyle called out to me, but I couldn't help but look at Aiden, as if asking for permission. He didn't catch my glance so I took small steps over to the bed. I flicked a strand of lilac hair out of my eyes before realising they were still teary. But I didn't have to wipe them away here; they could fit perfectly with the relief that Lyle was finally conscious. His jaw was still bandaged but he could somehow still smile, that was the human spirit.

Feeling something still in my hand, I looked down and realised I still held Belle's poke ball. I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to let her out just yet, she may be too overcome and hurt him or something but Lyle saw my sudden look down and followed my gaze to see the poke ball.

'Oh Belle, please, can I see her?'

His voice was so pleading, so suddenly desperate that I couldn't help but oblige straight away. The light was bright as it formed Belle, the glaceon still feeling depressed but as soon as she saw Lyle's face her whole persona brightened up. She was ecstatic, as expected, but she managed to control herself, as if she knew that her trainer was still in bad shape. Would this what it would have been like had Hannah survived? Would the treeko have been as glad as this? Would Aiden? I turned to look at him, now that Lyle was distracted, and I saw to my surprise that he was looking back. He was angry, probably at my new found knowledge but I held the same look, mine because of his secrecy. He had lied.

***

It was near two in the morning, and I knew exactly what I was doing. I needed to leave, to escape Aiden and to get home. I knew Lyle would get better by leaps and bounds now that he was awake and Belle was with him. It wasn't as if I was abandoning him. I left Flint with Aiden; it seemed as if Aiden was perfectly content with being human. I was never going to keep Flint anyway.

I had plotted this since the excitement of Lyle being awake had passed, I would leave as soon as everyone was asleep. No note. No explanation. Aiden would know why I left anyway; he could explain it to Lyle.

Strangely, even at this hour, the hospital was still as buzzing as it was in the day. The lights were slightly dimmed in the ward we were in but as soon as I was in the main corridor, the illumination was blinding. No one seemed to question me as I left the building, no one stared or watched me confused, they were too busy. I didn't expect anyone to stop me, they didn't want me here. The only one would be Lyle and it wouldn't be too badly, I was sure that Aiden could convince him I was a hallucination or just part of a dream.

Now to go far away from here, I knew a gyarados who owed me a favour and I knew he'd be waiting if I called him. It was an early Sunday morning, they wouldn't be able to come after me if they wanted to, besides Lyle would be in no fit state, no hospital would release him just yet.

I couldn't help but steal a glimpse back, a moment to see all that I left behind, all that I escaped from. I was sorry, every day that I had ever been with Aiden, I was truly sorry. But this truth, it made it all the more unbearable. If he looked at me like he had in Lyle's room, or when he had first met me, I couldn't deal with it. I would ask to lose those memories. Strange, no matter how fuzzy my older memories went, the ones of the accident were as clear as ever. Brandished on my brain.

_Tor_

I hadn't felt them for a while, none of them had used their abilities, and I had kept close watches on the both of them as well. She was running out of time, her sentence almost up. I watched the moon, knowing that it would be able to see them, as I so desperately wanted to.

_They won't be back just yet_

A young girl with sapphire eyes floated near to me, but as soon as I saw her she morphed, changing into an espeon, the perfect copy of Willow. I sighed, knowing that she could well be true. I began to walk away, my nine tails heavy behind me but she flew ahead of me. She shut her eyes and I could see her gem beginning to glow, brighter until a red orb consumed us both.

_She will return._

'Maybe not, you can only see it how they decide. By the looks of things, they are not completely decided yet. There are still those that can change their future.'

_I mean what I say Tor, and from that you should see that you should be careful._

Her eyes were serious, if not too ghostly to be joked with. But she was gone within seconds, another soul to mess with? We had so many similarities. But she was true. She always was, even with the possibility of everything changing. But nothing's decided, especially in this scenario.

Quiyelle called to her.

_------_

_Eeek, sorry for the lateness. But as I have started RP again on the site I mentioned last chapter (search brokenempire (one word) proboards on Google, should be first result!) I have been using most of my time and muse on that, and with a mix of GCSE's, I have a lot on. And I severely lack in sleep. But I can see the end in sight here so I will work harder to make this AMAZING!_

_Thank You_

_MoonLynx_


	17. It's A Bad Dream

Aiden Day 15

So what? That's it? You think I'm the bad guy just based on all she's said? Aren't I the one who's lost the girlfriend? Thought so, now you just sit there while I explain my side. It's a lot more interesting.

I woke in the early morning, the time where the sun is only just beginning to rise as the rest of the world sleeps. Lyle was still in his bed, Belle lying on the chair next to him. For the past few days, Willow and I had been sleeping either on the chairs or the floor close to the bed. We didn't know Lyle really well but I guess the short time we had spent with him had made us care for him. It was quite a feat too for Willow to give up her very precious, very limited time on someone like him now. Still, I stretched and after my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, I noticed she wasn't there. She wasn't on the floor and I was on the only other available chair. She could have gone to get a drink or something to eat but at this hour, she usually slept. She was a sun Pokémon after all.

I knew she would still be mad at me, but I didn't see why. So we were travelling under false pretences, so what? It's not as if we were completely honest to Lyle. Speaking of which... I checked back to him, I knew he wasn't completely done healing but he had made progress since he'd woken. All the doctors were astounded. I hadn't quite seen the injury Calibre had given him but I was pretty sure that it wasn't just a minor graze. I suppose that was some kind of miracle. Well, I knew that Willow would feel some guilt, some empathy, with this accident, no matter what I said. This would at least help her.

Did she need the help?

I never really offered her some, but I was only meant to be guiding her. And that was what I had done. Explain to me, why was I still here? Yes, I'm in the hospital because of Lyle, but other than that? I was free of commitment, no family to turn to. I was a free being. I could go wherever I wanted. But there were so many questions that had to be answered before I did anything. Like, did I want to stay in the form I was in? Or change and live anew? I knew Willow had made her choice, even before we had left on our journey. Would I miss her? This little adventure, would it fade away?

'Ah, morning Aiden. Dull morning eh?'

I smiled at Lyle, the smile I always stuck on whenever I was just not in the mood for being happy. I was a little edgy with Willow not being here, she seemed so far to be the person who jumped without looking. Who did stupid things accidentally. Still, as Lyle hadn't noticed her gone yet, I tried to distract him. She may have just needed the toilet. Though I suspected something worse going on.

'Yeah, it's going to be a foul day.'

Belle awoke with the sounds of our voice, and she looked up at me. God, that Pokémon was intuitive. She stared at me like she knew exactly what was going on, how I felt, what I was going to do. No wonder Willow got creeped out by her. But Lyle, usually obsessing over Belle, turned to find the room empty asides us. A frown crossed his face, mind whirring, before he spoke.

'Where's Willow? She's usually here.'

I thought he had been asleep since yesterday? I didn't want to accuse him of anything, so I just shrugged. She could be back any second.

'Do you mind going out to see where she is?'

I looked at him, confused. Did it matter where she was? He caught my look and he looked down, blushing slightly.

'I-I just want a drink. And she's not the best person in the world to keep herself safe.'

That was one thing I didn't really like about Lyle. He did like to brag. At first, he had just seemed over confident with his Pokémon, like any trainer was. But ever since the boat incident, he had appeared to have taken the role of 'Protector of Willow', like there was one. Right place, right time that was all that was down to. Besides, being a cripple now wasn't going to help her. But, due to his 'invalid' status, I grudgingly agreed.

***

The corridors weren't a lot different from the actual rooms. They were both a clean, disinfected white, with a lingering bleachy smell. Except for these halls were coloured with different lines going down to the important departments. I had no clue what colour the cafeteria was, or if there was one for it, so I wandered about a bit, following my nose every now and again. How could anyone find their way around here?

I was careful not to spend too much time away from Lyle, knowing that if I was too long, he would send a search team. Or come himself. And it wouldn't be for me either. I was sure that Willow was oblivious to him; she couldn't pretend that well and I doubted that she had either had those 'ideas' before. She did seem too innocent for those kinds of things.

'Sir, are you lost?'

I looked up, noticing that I had been following the blue line on the ground, and saw one of the nurses staring at me. I think they were annoyed, because their arms were crossed and their general body language gave me the 'Just-get-out-of-my-way' feel. Why was she speaking to me? I couldn't see any cameras.

'I suppose I am yes. You can answer either or both of two questions. 1) Have you seen a girl with long-ish purple hair? And 2) Where is the cafeteria?'

Her eyebrows raised, she was obviously sizing me up. I was trying to be polite, to be nice, but she didn't seem like one of those 'charismatic' people I had heard about.

'Sir, if I had seen a girl with purple hair, I would remember. And for your other question, just follow the brown line, I've just been there. There is a key to the line colours on the walls all around the hospital. That one you're on would lead you to the maternity ward.'

So no Willow? I wasn't sure how I would translate that back to Lyle, but my mind was just busy calculating where she would be. She wouldn't leave Lyle so soon, would she? But she did make rash decisions... I mumbled a thank you to the nurse, which she answered with a grunt, before I made my way back to Lyle.

She would want to go back to Quiyelle as soon as possible. But how now? There was no boat and she I didn't imagine her just milling around the island until one did turn up. No, she would try to find another way out. But asides from actually flying, I didn't see another possibility.

Standing in the doorway of Lyle's room, I knew she would have already thought it through before she left. That was presuming she wasn't kidnapped, but someone in the hospital would have seen her struggle and she had her psychic attack ready, even if it was risky to use now. She didn't like risks, I wasn't completely sure she knew there were such things. She mostly saw in black and white, no greys in between.

'I'm presuming you couldn't find her?'

I looked up, shocked to find Lyle standing next to me. True, he was resting on the wall and Belle was watching him closely, but his eyes certainly hid his pain well. He did have some true inner strength.

'No-where to be found. Look, I may have to leave soon. I mean, you're better now right? You have Belle.'

I was beginning to fear the worst as ideas and theories just ran through my head of what she could be doing. Maybe she had forgotten everything already and she was just a lost soul? That was the worst case scenario. The best, she was just taking a stroll around the hospital. But she wasn't the kind to do that. And even Lyle seemed to be seeing past my facade.

'No way. If this is about Willow, I'm coming too. I can move, see?'

He took a few steps forward, wincing unintentionally every few moments. His teeth were clenched, probably causing him more pain, but he was determined. I would have to agree just to make him stop torturing himself.

'Fine, but I'm getting you some crutches or something. I don't want you killing yourself for nothing.'

That last part was mumbled, I knew he would argue that it was not 'nothing' and I didn't need another person annoyed with me.

***

I had managed to 'borrow' a pair of crutches from a cupboard, warehouse place inside the building. Who knew how many they had. How many people did they expect would need these? There was such confidence in the human race. Lyle was moving considerably easier than before, Belle now safe in her poke ball. Flint was unaware of the happenings right now but if things went the way I thought they would, he would be informed very soon.

Willow, what are you doing?

We still had no way of getting the island right now; it was too far to swim even if Lyle was in a fit state. But we needed to get off soon, Willow would be long gone by now. But we had to keep going, race against her. There was still plenty I needed to say, to explain before we truly parted.

_Willow_

Crossing the waves is much smoother, and faster on a gyarados. They are the real commanders of the seas. I felt the wind force itself through my hair and I had to blink rapidly to stop my eyes drying out. The beach of Lilycove was getting closer and closer, bigger and bigger, by the second. I knew by now they would notice that I was gone, but what could they do?

This was my decision.

Like Aiden's decision not to tell me the truth. Maybe I was a bit bitter, but I had a reason to be. I must have felt something for him, to be this upset and I suppose I was partly upset at myself. He had made it clear so many times before that he didn't think that but I let myself do it anyway. Oh God, Aiden, what other secrets do you have?

Stepping onto the beach, at least I knew that I would be rid of them soon. Of all of this.


	18. Aftermath Of The Storm

Willow Day 16

I was close; I could feel the trees calling to me, the whole forest reaching out. I kept my pace steady along with my breath, pushing thoughts of Aiden to the back of my mind and focusing on only what I was doing now. I hadn't eaten or slept, continuing through the night to reach where I was now. I knew that when I stopped, by stomach would be tearing away at me and my legs would collapse on me but this was why I kept moving, continuous, even.

A single pidgey flew above me, singing loudly to the surroundings around it. I looked up to see the remainder of its flock congregate from the trees and bushes along the path and join it in its song. The joy of the chorus. Feeling the tears well up in my eyes no matter how hard I fought, I looked to the ground. My clothes were dirty and speckled with holes and my shoes were in a worse state. I hated to think of how I looked. Red puffy eyes from crying, tangled purple hair and cuts and grazes all over my body. Thank God this hell would be over soon.

I guess I had learnt my lesson, which would please Tor. Eugh that was the part I was going to hate most. His smug smile, judging eyes as he lorded over me the fact that he controlled whether I ever became a Pokémon again. I never gave him a reason to hate me; I guess he just found one.

***

I never realised how low the branches were here, how strong you had to be to push through them and deal with the grazes and bloody injuries later. This was no place for beginners. I stumbled into a pathway, lit only with small gaps between the trees. They ignored me now, not recognising me, not welcoming me back. I hadn't expected there to be a huge parade for my return but I had expected Tor to be here.

Nothing but silence echoed around me.

I remembered this, when I would hide in the backgrounds and watch the trainer. I was no trainer but any human was treated with caution. No Pokémon would come near me now. I was tired, hot and now devastated. I had wanted this to be over. As soon as I arrived. This was my home.

I fell to the ground, letting my tears roll and cries of anguish and desperation scream from out of me. This had never been fair but now, to leave me? This had been just a game to him.

'Aww, you didn't enjoy the game?'

I looked up to see the same ghost-girl floating above me. She smiled her teeth a whispy white. Staring at me for a moment, she frowned biting her bottom lip then changed into a glaceon. It twirled for a moment, as if inspecting its new form then turned its attention back to me, the same dark smile lingering on its lips.

'I did tell Tor you would return.'

That caught my attention. I sat up, ignoring the aches my body made. I stared at the ghost straight in the eye, or the thing they had.

'Tor? You spoke to him? Where is he?'

I still had time, if I could just find him, plead, and beg. I didn't care now about my dignity, I needed Quiyelle, it was my home. I reached my hand to grab her and grasped nothing. The blue tail twitched, as if it had felt something but its smile just grew.

'He will find you if it is meant to be. If not, worse things could happen.'

They were growing bored of me; they floated on their back staring lazily up at the sky. I stared at them, mouth open at their lack of caring. I couldn't attack them, as much as I wanted, so I just yelled. All the obscenities that Lyle and Aiden had taught me now came into use (we had to fill the time up in the hospital). The glaceon turned an eye in my direction, as if amused with my outrage, and then disappeared. Damn.

***

'**TOR!'**

I had nothing fuelling me but my desperation and hope. He owed me this, for all the deceit and lies he had given me over the years, and this punishment. I forced my way through the greenery, thrashing furiously, causing the Pokémon who hadn't heard me to scuttle away hurriedly. I muttered all the things that I would do to him, gouge out his blood red eyes, tear out his black heart, pull out his stupid tails one by one, somehow avoiding the infamous ninetails curse.

An arm gripped me and I turned around, expecting to see Tor or one of his cronies, but there was Aiden, panting and marked with sweat. My eyes widened, barely noticing Lyle hobble in behind him with Flint and Belle.

'How-did-you...?'

Aiden smiled, his body still catching up with his oxygen debt that had built up. Lyle began to make his way over, smiling but gritting his teeth in pain with each step, until Aiden put out a hand to signal 'stop'.

'I will tell you when we talk. Properly.'

He was still breathing hard but his eyes stayed firm on mine, serious. I looked to Lyle and smiled, wondering why he was here. Surely Aiden would have saved time if he kept him in hospital; it would probably been safer for Lyle there too.

'Why don't you go take a rest Lyle? I'm pretty sure that however you got here, it would have taken some effort.'

He seemed upset and reluctant to leave but Belle tugged at his trouser leg, obviously exhausted herself. Which left me looking at the bent-over Aiden. I had never seen him this tired. I was so curious to find out how they left the island, how they found me so quickly, but that would be added to all the other questions and things I wanted to say.

***

'You know, I'm impressed.'

I sat on a log, staring at the dusk sky. A splash of colours filled the air, soon to fade into night. Why was I giving him a second of my time? A second chance? Perhaps I needed the answers, before he could no longer give them to me. The truth.

'With what? Me?'

He lay on the grass below me, staring up towards the same sky. His eyes never dared to reach my face now.

'No, how you got here so fast. How did you do that?'

'Belle knows surf. Or at least, now she does.'

'But all that way? What about Lyle? Surely she's not that strong.'

'You don't give her enough credit, she's pretty gutsy. And Lyle. Admittedly, I did use my 'Pokémon ways' to get a group of lanturn to help. They were pretty mocking about the fact I was fire type.'

Somehow, that didn't surprise me. How did that old saying go? Where there's a will, there's a way? Well, Aiden certainly had a strong enough will. I could presume that they ran the rest of the way here, using Flint to help Lyle.

'Why did you go through all that? You knew this would happen inevitably.'

'I needed to explain myself, Willow.'

'Then go for it, tell me exactly why you lied about who you were.'

'I never lied. Never. I just didn't tell the exact truth. I had been a vulpix, hers, once. For years I travelled with her and those were the parts of my life I enjoyed most but then, suddenly, she left me. Abandoned here. All those years working together...'

He clenched his fists, sitting up, hunched over. These memories were the ones that were sticking with him, the worst ones.

'I was heartbroken. I had loved her. But Tor found me and made me a bargain. I could become human if I did him a favour in the future. Of course I said yes, I would have done anything to escape the memories of my Pokémon life. But they stayed with me. I ran into her, eventually, when she went back to her hometown. As soon as we met each other, both human, we fell in love. Of course, I already was with her. But then, it was as if it all fitted, as if it was all meant to be like this.'

I couldn't bear to look at him. He relived these thoughts with such joy, and I sat there knowing that I took them away from him.

'Then Quiyelle?'

'Yes, Quiyelle. She was so determined to go back there, to catch such strong Pokémon and as much as I warned her against it, she snuck off without me, leaving me just a note. Of course I went after her. I knew Tor was there, he could do anything to her. I couldn't let her be hurt...'

He laughed to himself, a dark chuckle.

'Much good that did. I arrived just after the accident, I didn't see it, I didn't see her, but Tor found me. He explained it to me then called up his favour I owed him. To escort you to her family. Of course I refused, but Tor told me there was worse that could happen to Hannah than dying and he could sort it so that they happened. I didn't know if he was bluffing or lying but, what else did I have? I accepted.... and only then, after my years of free living, did my memories start to disappear. If I hadn't had argued with him.... who knows....'

He looked up again, at the first pinpricks of stars. I couldn't think of what to say, the right thing to say. I'm sorry? That wouldn't make up for it and he already knew that I was sorry. So we sat there, silent, until it was unbearable.

'Her mum, when I went to visit her.... said you, came here to.... to... propose to her...'

I spat out the words, unbelieving them to be true but there was a niggling, a strong force that thought it could be true.

'And if I was? I told you I loved her, but she's dead now.'

'It's important.'

'Really? That important that you ask whether I was going to propose to my now dead-girlfriend?'

He sighed, covering his face in his hands. Now was not the time for talk. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a box, I opened it and a silver, diamond ring shone there. My hopes were dashed; I was an evil person for doing this to him.

'It's beautiful.'

'Yeah...'

This moment, no words could be shared, no sound except those of the cool wind shaking the trees. It was too calm now. The aftermath of the storm.

'Did I disturb something? Except, I'm pretty sure I heard my name being called before.'

Tor walked out from the undergrowth, his voice baring no evidence of caring that he had just disturbed our intense conversation, it was just smug.

'Tor.'

I gasped his name, I hadn't seen him in weeks but he still managed to chill me to my core. Aiden just stared at him, his resentment for him shown in his gaze.

'So you're back. Fun trip? I presume that you want me to change you back before you forget everything Espeon, or is it Willow now?'

'It's still Espeon and allow me one last minute to say something to Aiden privately.'

'Espeon, you forget I am a busy creature, I have been filling your boots for the last few weeks, I do believe I owe you nothing.'

'You won't allow her one minute?'

Aiden stood, his posture aggressive towards Tor. I stood up, scared of what Tor could do to him.

'Ah Aiden, you're back. I must say I thought you would kill her. I guess I was wrong. Good show.'

'Show? Was this just amusement to you? Where is Hannah?'

'Her body is fine.'

'It better be you damn-'

'Stop it Aiden, you know what he can do.'

I stood between them, knowing that Aiden was getting close to Tor wanting to kill him. And I was sure that killing someone was in Tor's range of expertise.

'Ah I forgot about you Espeon, and I do believe your minute's up. Shame you had to waste it on arguing Aiden.'

I turned to shout at Tor and argue, plead my case, but the sudden pain shot through me again. I could remember it in my thoughts but it was nothing like the real thing. Pure pain as my body was being shrunk and changed once again.

My clothes incinerated off me, leaving me naked. My hair grew all along my body, but shorter. My fingers withdrew into my palm, and that in itself shrank, covered in soft pads and fur. My ears grew out long and changed position in my mutating skull. From my back end the spine pierced through the skin and grew, splitting into two to make my tail. My breasts shrank back and suddenly nipples appeared all the way down my stomach. My leg bones broke and reshaped into smaller, stronger back ones. My gem broke free from the chain around my neck to my forehead and with that I opened my eyes, my white pupils, to see the world again. Clearer. My memories were back and they overwhelmed me. Espeon, that was my name. I was no human.

Sensing him, I twisted back to see a human staring back at me, shocked. I growled at him, hissing brutally and he backed away from me. I looked forward to see a ninetails laugh, supposedly at me.

'She is herself again. This was the creature you befriended. But don't worry; she'll remember all the pain you put her through soon enough. This is just primal instinct.'

He looked at me, his red eyes gazing at me. I arched my back, threatening, but his eyes were deep. I was drawn in, too late did I realise his trap. I drew weary and with a final look, I collapsed asleep on my side. Hypnosis.

---

_Wow, this is very late. But I have been very busy with GCSE revision and just general work. But I see that the end is nigh, obviously. But I will try to make these last few ones longer (better) and not so far apart._

_Thank You_

_MoonLynx_


	19. What I Would Give

Espeon- Day of Rebirth

My head... eugh... it was throbbing and nothing I could do could shake it, help me get back to sleep. Opening my eyes again, I found myself in my old den, in the hollow of a tree, lined with old autumn leaves. It was dusk, weak streams of light spilling between the trees outside. It felt like normal, but I remembered the memories before I had changed back. Oh God, the pain. Aiden. I had growled at him. Had he left Quiyelle yet? Had he left me?

Stretching my limbs, I listened out for the sounds of the forest. Scramblings of the rattata, songs of the spearow and the soft beatings of the beautifly's wings. I had missed this but I was listening out for the alien sounds. The ones that went against the rhythm. I leapt out of my nest and smelt the air. It was strange how I had managed to fit back into this form so quickly. I had only been away from it for a few weeks but... I had lost the feelings. The instincts. Even now I felt changed, filled with these emotions I had never thought of before. I had presumed they would be gone as I changed back.

'Willow?'

Caught in my thoughts, Lyle had managed to walk over to me, only a few steps away. I guess I wasn't in tune as I thought... I turned, not afraid, holding back the reaction to fight him. He seemed afraid of me; I guess Aiden had told him of me. Belle was standing by his side, the same curious stare fixed on her face.

'I guess you knew.'

Lyle wouldn't be able to understand, the mix of twitches and short 'Espeon's I called out wouldn't make sense to him, but Belle could understand and she soon replied.

'I felt a connection to you, but I didn't know what you were. This makes sense now.'

I smiled at her, smug. I knew her thoughts now; she was no longer the scary being that seemed to know all. Lyle on the other hand was freaking out.

'Willow, what are you saying? I don't know.... I don't know you...'

He seemed close to tears, crouching down to look me straight in the eye. I was shocked, taking a few steps back. What did he want? I turned to walk away, seemingly bored with his presence, but he grabbed my tail. I looked at him, staring at him with a look that could kill, prompting him to let go.

'I'm sorry. But Willow? Please, change back. I...I...Goddamnit, I like you...'

That explained things. My gaze softened, a mix of pity and surprise staring at him gently. But what could I say? I couldn't change back now... could I? I was sure Tor wouldn't change me if I wanted to. Only on his terms. And Lyle... he was young, he could change. Already, he seemed to regret telling me. I shook my head, the only way I could to send the message across. Humans were so primitive...

'I'm sorry Lyle; this is who I am...'

'You're breaking his heart.'

I looked up to see Belle staring at me, her look cold, matching everything else about her. I could understand her reaction, I was hurting her trainer, she would stop it in any way she could. Lyle watched me, a few tears falling down his cheeks.

'Okay... if you refuse to change... then... then'

He scrabbled in his bag, desperately looking for something amongst the berries and potions. Pulling out a poke ball, he held it close to my face, now I was growing scared with the thing I feared most being pushed into my face.

'Then I'll just catch you. You can't leave then. And then you can change back and... and...'

Switching my focus from the poke ball to Lyle, I saw that his heart was breaking. I couldn't do this to him. I pushed down the poke ball with my paw so that it was on the ground then walked away, pausing momentarily to look back, I couldn't say anything to him, this was the only way I could help. He was collapsed on the ground, a tearful heap, Belle pushing her face up close to his.

'I'm sorry Lyle.'

I cared for him, but not enough to stay with him forever. It wouldn't be fair.

--

Hours later, I was still searching for Aiden, if Lyle was still here, he would be too. But there was no trace of him, him or Flint. I sat down, staring up at the ever darkening sky and felt lost. I was home but there was so much tugging at me. Aiden, Lyle, Flint, what could I do to break free?

Fire surged into the sky, lighting it like a firework. Tor? Or some other commotion. Either way, I found myself sprinting towards the flames, not feeling fear, only the desperate urge to find out what was going on. A clearing, made probably by the flames, showed me Aiden lunging at Tor, helplessly flailing at him around the charred hedges.

'Where is she? What did you do?!'

Tor effortlessly skipped and leapt out of the way of the attacks. He seemed to be enjoying this.

'She's fine, in a better shape than before if you asked me.'

'Why couldn't you just let her be? Let me take her home!'

Aiden succeeded at grabbing on of Tor's tails, and he yanked it hard. A primal growl ripped from Tor and he turned to face Aiden, preparing himself to attack. Aiden, too late, realised the damage he had caused. Had he meant this to happen? To die?

I, only just finding my senses, ran out towards the two. Tor would **not **kill Aiden. I stood in front of him, facing the fire fox. Tor seemed surprised for a moment, then he squinted his eyes and fired a fire blast. Protect, a little ability I had picked up in the human world. The fire uselessly flew around us; still I wasn't sure how long I could keep this up. Aiden would just have to not annoy him.

'Would you die for this creature?'

Tor stepped towards me, challenging me.

'He is cursed now, it's a tradition.'

He smiled, smug as he sized up Aiden. Aiden, in the meantime, still a little dazed, found his feet again. Tapping his anger, instead of shouting at Tor like I had expected, he sent out his own flamethrower. Tor, a little shocked, avoided it, but was singed slightly due to his delayed reaction.

'You've finally learnt that ability Aiden, it had taken you long enough. Shame that you can't enjoy it now.'

Tor launched a psychic wave of energy towards Aiden, but I reflected with my own. I bit my lip as I felt the sudden strength in his power, straining to keep on top of it. Annoyed with my protest, his wave became more powerful, piercing, but somehow I found the energy to match it, and soon to overpower it, even if it did tire me to my innermost core. Knocking Tor back, he slowly found his feet and frowned at me, surprise in his eyes glinting in my own.

'You've grown too, I see. Fine, come with me.'

He walked away, expecting us to follow. I went to follow, but Aiden rested a hand on my back, stopping me immediately.

'Thank you Wil...Espeon. I may be cursed but if I can just see her again...'

His gaze followed after Tor, leaving me to look how I actually felt. Crushed. Oh why did he have to be in love with her? I would gladly change for him. I would change back and be happy. It's just sad that I met him under tragic circumstances.

---

I had never been this far deep before. This forest had surpassed all my expectations in the past but here, it was a whole new spot. The trees, instead of lining the pathways with their density, were everywhere, like this spot was never meant to be uncovered. Tor flowed easily through the trees though, yet even with my senses, I often lost my way. Aiden was far back from us, his determination drove him to fight through the branches but I waited at frequent intervals, another few gashes added at each stop.

'When did this all get so screwed up?'

Aiden sighed softly to himself, but I heard him, and it hurt. But, to be honest, ever since Aiden changed from vulpix to human, that was when it was screwed up. I was just an... added ingredient in this mess.

I heard a chuckle, and realised only then that Tor was listening to my thoughts. There was no privacy here. I thought of the most obscene things I could ever think of and stopped for Aiden again. I might as well wait for someone who can respect my privacy... or just doesn't have supernatural powers.

'Huh... I expected her to be here.'

That was something I didn't expect to hear. Nor did Aiden, by the way he reacted. We couldn't see Tor just yet, but his voice was close and that was all Aiden worked on as he tore his way through the foliage to reach the fox.

'What- do- you- mean?!'

Aiden cried between grunts, and I followed keenly behind. Behind the final hedge, Tor was sitting, waiting for us. He smiled; none of this was his loss.

'Um, well, I kept her here. I guess she left already.'

I was lost for words. For one, Tor was surprised. And two, a body can leave?! Like I said, there are some things about here that just cease to amaze. Still, this one was just out of nowhere.

'_I guess that's me.'_

The ghost girl. I could recognise her eerie voice anywhere, but she hadn't been close recently. Another fortune to tell? The ghost floated, undecided in its image before switching to a translucent umbreon. My opposite.

'Ah, she came back.'

Tor turned around to look at the ghost, could he see her? Aiden looked too, but was confused. Wow, this truly is messed up. A ghost, a pokemorph, a Pokémon who's in love with a pokemorph and a sadistic fox. When do we ever have the time to be normal?

'So, this is what Hannah became. Of course, I realise you may be a tad confused but believe me when I say, I am too. I meant this soul to go to the afterlife, heaven or whatever you humans believe, but she stayed.'

'And you decided to follow me?'

'You, Tor, a number of people.'

Why not Aiden? Why did it have to be me?

'And you were trying to convince me to stay human?'

'Well, I didn't want Aiden to be alone.'

A self sacrificing ghost. They were so made for each other. Aiden decided to step forward, reaching out to the ghost Umbreon.

'Are you my Hannah? Are you... here?'

It turned; its red eyes full of sorrow. It changed to Hannah, a full scale of the girl I had known only briefly, this was the true her, the bubbly personality of the ghost before had left. She was human. Facing Aiden, I could tell she wanted to reach out, but they were in two different worlds now. Forever lost.

'Aiden... I've failed you. She changed back.'

'Hannah, you couldn't fail me. I miss you, what is going to happen to you?'

Oh God, this was going to get to me. If I hadn't had a history with them, with one in particular, I would feel all mushy. Like when you see a newborn Eevee. Cute, but after a while annoying. Tor was behind me, blocking my path, he was the king of moment killers.

'She will go. She may not have succeeded her goal but it is finished. Though I can kill you if you want.'

That was a joke, a joke right? I looked up at Tor, eyes wide in surprise and horror. He would do that? Just suddenly? And yet Aiden seemed to consider it, his eyes fixed on Hannah's.

'All this time, I would've given anything for that. Anything to see her again, to be with her. But...'

His hand reached out but when it touched hers, it disappeared like smoke and his was left sinking. Hannah pulled back her hand, knowing the truth of their situation. She was dead.

'I... I... don't want to die. I miss you, I loved you. And I will always remember you, but... I'm so sorry.'

Death and eternal love or life and the chance of another kind of love? I wished I could comfort him but I was stuck in my body, merely able to sit with him, give him my presence.

Hannah nodded, no tears falling from her crystal eyes. This was no Romeo and Juliet. This was just... life. Sometimes the ending isn't so happy. She looked to Tor and he seemed to understand, shutting his eyes, she began to fade, her eyes slowly closing for the last time.

'I loved you too Aiden. And Espeon.'

I looked up, already trying to my hardest to not get noticed by her.

'_It was an accident. Don't feel guilty.'_

She smiled at me, a grin that was too strong to be faked. I tried to smile back but the feelings of sorrow held it back. She was gone. Forever? Maybe. But she had left a lasting imprint on me. Cheesy but true.

And suddenly, we were just in an opening, staring at nothing. The feelings were left but we had to move.

'And that's it.'

Tor disturbed the peace, summing this situation up like a cheap film. Though that was just it, this wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

--

_I have about 1-2 chapters left of material. Then this story will be over, or the first part of it anyway. I may go back in time and see how Espeon and Aiden were before this whole thing but that would be well after my exams. Anyway, sorry for the rambling at the end. I had no music on and so was running on empty, like now..._

_Thank You_

_MoonLynx_


	20. Why Now?

Espeon- Day of Reckoning

'What have I done?'

Oh God. Only now has he realised what he said, what he did, who he let go. He surely was a human, his mind had blocked out the enormity of his actions. The pain that he now feels.

'I let her go. I let the girl I had trekked miles for, slip away. What kind of decent being does that? How... how could I say goodbye?'

He was speaking to himself, but I think he wanted a sympathetic ear nearby; I was going to stay anyway. I had no other plans of what to do with myself now.

'What do I do now? How do I live now?'

Had I been human, I may have shaken sense into him. Not being harsh, but she was dead. What could he have done? This was why the dead should be dead. If he had said goodbye to her corpse, there would have been more absolution, more definitive actions involved, but now. He was left doubting. Tor was the one to blame for this, I was sure.

'Oh God Hannah, I'm so sorry.'

The only thing was, the more he felt bad for letting her go, the worse I felt about killing her initially. Not that I wasn't feeling bad, there was no way to escape that guilt, but to witness firsthand the effects my actions had, it was unbearable.

'_It was an accident. Don't feel guilty.'_

Those words echoed back at me, but if Aiden felt bad for simply saying 'goodbye' I have to feel a thousand times worse for murdering a human. This would be the point my life was based around, forgetting everything else that had happened. All those seemed like a blur now anyway.

'Espeon?'

Tor called to me, bringing to my attention the fact that we had come full circle, we had reached the entrance to our wood. A lone figure stood outside, waiting. Lyle.

Who was he waiting for? I didn't want to think it was me. I had made my feelings clear; I didn't want to be any more blatant towards him.

'Whoa Aiden, you alright?'

He took a few steps towards Aiden, before he spotted me watching him carefully. Biting his lip, he deliberately turned his attention back to Aiden, offering a hand in support. Aiden crumpled to the ground, letting his guilt crush him down.

'I let her go Lyle, she... she left.'

Of course, I was unsure what Aiden had told Lyle about this whole situation. I tried to sneak into the undergrowth of the wood, be rid of this situation, but I heard Lyle call out.

'Willow, wait.'

Why was I needed now? Had I caused enough pain? Enough torture? Besides I had no way of explaining this long story out to him, not that it wasn't complicated enough in human speak anyway.

'Willow, please, reconsider. I know I acted stupidly before, I know. But please, if not for me, then for Aiden.'

My focus swivelled to the pile that was Aiden. I couldn't leave him like that. But I couldn't stay with them either. This wasn't as simple as Lyle thought it was.

'We don't need her.'

Those few coherent words passed Aiden's lips and hit me, stinging with the venom loaded within them. Even Lyle was taken aback by the hatred in them. Aiden turned his attention to me, glaring, his dark eyes perfectly fixed on me. Nervously, I took a step back but he seemed determined to not let me leave.

'You going to leave now? What? Leaving someone in pain again? Is that just what you do?'

The familiar sting hit me again. I had felt this few times during our trip, he had seemed to have locked it away and coped better with it as he grew to know me, but now. Seeing her had brought it back. He was against me now. And I couldn't bear it. I didn't have to be here now. I didn't have to take this abuse. I could get back to my life now. I could leave this behind.

I shot a last glance at them, the two people I had been through so much with, those who I had grown to know and like, then dashed back into the bushes, determined to put as much distance between them and I. But none of this place seemed familiar now, it was all alien, new, not the place I had remembered it as. My memories were intact, I could remember all the times I had wandered around here before, but it was different now.

'I guess that trip's had more of an effect on you than you realised.'

I turned to see Tor's omnipotent face staring straight at me, his eyes as wondering as mine as he looked over me.

'You're different. That trip was meant to be a learning experience, but you've grown a lot more than I had expected.'

'What am I meant to do now? I don't think I can just settle back here.'

'Maybe you're not meant to. Nothing stopped you from leaving before, but you stayed anyway. You're still young Espeon, but you can make your own choices now.'

He could be a friend at times. When he wanted to be, he could take the role of soothsayer, of tutor, of the omnipresent being that flowed through these woods. But, most of the time, he was the obnoxious fox that took pleasure out of torturing others. Me as a prime example.

'How am I meant to know what choices are right for me?'

'I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.'

I stared at him blankly, unamused and unsatisfied by his answer, until he rolled his eyes at me.

'Think about it Espeon, I am not going to tell you what to do. You would only rebel against it. Besides, you've already made up your mind anyway.'

He smiled at me; his daily wisdom departed, and then walked off, a ghostly image fading away. Had I decided already? Did I know what to do? No. But I would always have a place here and right now, the undecided seemed more exciting, if not the rougher path. But that option would be gone soon. I would have to act fast.

Never before had I ran like my life, my future, depended on it. Never before had my heart, although aching with the hurried beats, spurred me on. The trees blended into a swirl of green, my eyes only focused ahead. Soon the endless line of foliage opened up, into the long stretch of fields beyond. I scanned the area quickly, but no one was around.

Where were they?

Had they gone already?

How long had I been?

_**Where were they?**_

My breaths were frantic, my heart beating rapidly but now I was panicking. I had missed my chance. I had missed them. I had-

'-Rupt'

The familiar bellow sounded behind me, close enough to shock me, but all I could do was smile. I still had a chance.

_Eeek, this was made in two parts, and I still don't like it after updating it. I guess I'm trying to find a suitable end to this story, although that seems impossible. ANYWAY, felt like posting before I left on holiday where I'll be able to organise my ideas into a few chapters, maybe. _

_Thank you_

_MoonLynx_


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